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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I don’t know for sure, but the S. California installation in the article is likely a large Unisolar installation down there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>However, since the article talks about Chinese modules, which are mostly crystalline, I don’t think thin film is the major problem, if there really is one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Not mentioned in the article is the possibility for micro-fracturing of the cells being a major problem, especially since they are sliced so thin these days, and generally shipped lying flat, which must cause a lot of flexing during transport.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Brian Teitelbaum<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>AEE Solar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Carl Emerson<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 30, 2013 2:50 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'RE-wrenches'<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Defective modules<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Hi there,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Hilton’s third question is important.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Are we seeing a rise in thin film failure or is this only mono and poly?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Regards<br>Carl Emerson</span><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:windowtext'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> <a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a> [<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Hilton Dier III<br><b>Sent:</b> 30 May 2013 1:09 a.m.<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [RE-wrenches] Defective modules</span><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span lang=EN-GB>Greetings wrenches,<br><br>I'm sure many of you have seen this article in the New York Times: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/business/energy-environment/solar-powers-dark-side.html?hp&_r=1&">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/business/energy-environment/solar-powers-dark-side.html?hp&_r=1&</a><br><br>I have already gotten an email from a panicked client asking about canceling his project.<br><br>First question: Has anybody dealt with defective modules lately, and if so, what brands?<br>Second question: How much does this affect first-tier manufacturers (Trina, Suntech, Yingli...) and how much of this is "no-name" brands?<br>Third question: Is this restricted to a particular technology such as thin film?<br><br>And the big question: How do we deal with this? I can imagine the fossil fuel and nuclear industries promoting this story with enthusiasm.<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>Hilton<o:p></o:p></span></p><pre><span lang=EN-GB>-- <o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span lang=EN-GB>Hilton Dier III<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span lang=EN-GB>Renewable Energy Design<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span lang=EN-GB>Partner, Solar Gain LLC<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span lang=EN-GB>453 East Hill Rd.<o:p></o:p></span></pre><pre><span lang=EN-GB>Middlesex, VT 05602<o:p></o:p></span></pre></div></body></html>