According to a report, about 10 gigawatts of installed solar module capacity in Germany is at risk of failing due to poor materials and needs to be replaced. This is equivalent to about 15 percent of Germany’s total solar power generation capacity.
Photovoltaic systems should actually be usable for about 20 to 30 years. However, inverters often need to be replaced after 10 to 15 years. Furthermore, efficiency is decreasing by about one percentage point per year, reducing efficiency somewhat. But ultimately, the quality of the material and workmanship plays an important role. However, there appears to be a problem with the material quality of many solar modules in Germany. This comes from a report that has worried many owners of such systems.
“PV Magazine” reports that about 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity is affected by a specific material problem. “AAA” support films made of three-layer polyamide can become brittle and tear. This then leads to insulation problems and module failure. According to the report, owners of affected systems could face replacement costs totaling up to two billion euros to replace modules affected by physical defects. There is also a shortage of sufficient manpower to complete this work professionally and quickly.
For many owners of such photovoltaic systems, this is a financial disaster. Instead of saving money from such panels on the roof of your house or earning money from the commercial operation of such solar power plants, you now have to bear additional costs. Manufacturer warranties have often already expired or are designed to not work. Then some manufacturers are no longer active on the German market, so they can hardly be held responsible. The system owner then bears the cost.
