Co-Founder, Heliovolta Heliovolta and PVEL LLC Carlsbad, California, United States
Solar connectors are often overlooked when PV systems operate as expected. But when they fail, they can cause fires that jeopardize both safety and property. In one recent example, connector-related failures at a series of SunPower installed sites cost the company approximately $31 million. Another study from the U.K. found that 27% of 58 fires instigated by the PV systems from 2010 to 2017 were caused by connectors.
As of December 2021, there are 375 million PV connections in the U.S. Solar market – which means that as solar capacity grows, these incidents are more likely to occur. Unfortunately, not enough emphasis has been placed on properly training installation crews on connector safety, and the industry lacks a universal standard for PV connector design.
From this poster, EPCs, developers, O&M providers, asset owners, and downstream stakeholders will learn best practices for installing connectors, visual cues to identify issues in the field, and the importance of imposing high-quality standards for connectors to mitigate project risks.
.jpg "David Penalva photo")