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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">First Solar's thin film is definitely
part of the industry's early onset under performance problem.<br>
With monocrystalline under $1/watt, I just don't understand why
big projects are still going forward with thin film. <br>
I would only use thin film for partial shading, or curved, odd
shaped surfaces. (RV roofs, not MW plants)<br>
The bean counters are putting too much faith in warranties and
spread sheets, instead of looking at real life long term
performance history. PV's been around now for several decades;
there's just no excuse to keep repeating the same mistakes over
again.<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760</pre>
On 5/31/2013 1:02 AM, Brian Teitelbaum wrote:<br>
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cite="mid:8961DF9D3453CF41A4A5B6E6BECA4C7722CE385667@VS-SJEXCH01.recsolar.local"
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<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">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <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
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB">Hi there,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB">Hilton’s third question is important.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB">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
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""
lang="EN-GB">Regards<br>
Carl Emerson</span><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:white"
lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"
lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center"
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 moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>
[<a moz-do-not-send="true"
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 moz-do-not-send="true"
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 moz-do-not-send="true"
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>
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