About
Junction box failures now rank among the most common and costly issues investigated by Intertek CEA’s field team.
On affected sites, junction box defect rates range from 1% to 10% of installed modules. For utility-scale projects with hundreds of thousands of modules, even the low end of that range can represent thousands of potential reliability and safety concerns.
Without the right diligence and quality control, modules with junction box defects such as poor soldering, failed bypass diodes, adhesive issues, and improper crimps can leave the factory undetected. By the time the problem surfaces in the field, project owners may be facing lost production, warranty disputes, and, in some cases, thermal events.
So, what’s actually failing inside the junction box? Why are these defects making it through quality inspections? And what can buyers, asset owners, and manufacturers do to prevent them?
In this live webinar, Intertek CEA’s Ankil Sanghvi and Mike Scott break down what’s going wrong inside the junction boxes, why it’s happening more often, and what can actually be done about it, both on the factory floor and in the field.
Webinar Content:
- The most common junction box failure modes, what causes each one, and the consequences of each
- How changes to module design have affected the risk of junction box failure
- Why these defects can pass factory quality checks and only surface under real operating conditions
- Approaches and best practices during procurement and module manufacturing that can prevent junction box failures
- How to detect and address junction box problems in the field, including what your warranty claim actually requires
- Advances in manufacturing that improve junction box soldering and reduce risks of junction box failures
- Q&A
Speakers
Michael Scott has over 20 years of solar experience. spanning academic research to high-volume manufacturing. Before joining CEA, he held several engineering and leadership positions at SunPower and SolarWorld, as well as conducting professional research on thin film PV technologies.
With over 9 years of experience in the PV solar industry, Ankil Sanghvi brings a wealth of knowledge to his role as Senior Engineering Manager at Clean Energy Associates. At CEA, he is responsible for inspection and testing services, commissioning support services. Ankil’s team has completed 750 safety inspections on commercial rooftops, ground mounts, carports, and utility systems across 13 countries. Ankil has personally supported over 17 fire investigations as a PV expert onsite.
Ankil graduated from Arizona State University, where he received his Master’s degree in the field of Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization. He served as Solar Power Plant Engineer at TUV Rheinland PTL, performing PV power plant audits, commissioning, and testing services. Ankil completed his research in Solar Reliability and Durability under the mentorship of Dr. Mani Tamizhmani, a world-renowned scientist, and an expert in photovoltaics.
Moderator
Ben Zientara is a journalist, writer, and policy analyst in the solar industry, where he has worked since 2014. Currently the Associate Editor of pv magazine USA, his written work has informed a broad variety of audiences, teaching homeowners about the state policy and incentives that enable their dreams of going solar and keeping industry professionals up to date on the latest news about solar technology, finance, legislation, and regulatory policy.
In addition to his written work, Ben has hosted informational videos for the SolarReviews online platform and addressed audiences of industry professionals at multiple NABCEP CE conferences. His solar policy analysis work has been covered by both clean energy trade publications and national media outlets like Fast Company, NPR, Politifact, and the New York Times, and is currently included in the annual Community Power Scorecard from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.