Scratches on PV Panels

and · Dec 15, 2011

Reddy - Very good news that you are getting your scratched panels replaced ... I haven't yet heard back from my installer since I emailed him a couple of days ago, but you getting your scratched panels replaced at least sets a precedent.

I think logic dictates that what moggy1968 points out about degredation of AR surfaces is correct, and it concerns me that fifteen years down the line these scratches might indeed have caused degredation.

It is an expensive and long-term investment that ought to be installed scratch free.

Reddy · Dec 15, 2011

Very pleased - the installation company replaced the 3 scratched panels yesterday, no questions asked. They asked me to check the new panels after they had done and they all looked fine.

and - hope you get your panels sorted. The fact my installer replaced my scratched panels without argument suggests that it was the 'right' thing to do and they were aware that scratched panels could suffer problems in the future.

fiardor · Dec 17, 2011

Reddy said:
Very pleased - the installation company replaced the 3 scratched panels yesterday, no questions asked. They asked me to check the new panels after they had done and they all looked fine.

and - hope you get your panels sorted. The fact my installer replaced my scratched panels without argument suggests that it was the 'right' thing to do and they were aware that scratched panels could suffer problems in the future.

That company wouldnt be Eco-Fusion by any chance?

Reddy · Dec 19, 2011

Hi fiardor, no the company is not called Eco-Fusion.

and · Dec 19, 2011

Have had the worst one of my nine 'scratched' panels replaced, which I'm happy with.

I'll keep my eye on any degredation around the 'scratches' on the panels to see if it affects the AR coating.

It's difficult to say, but up on the roof it looked like the 'scratches' (caused by aluminium frame of one panel coming into contact witht the glass of another) may be being weathered away.

It was reassuring that REC said such scratches do not affect the 25 year warranty and that they think it unlikely that the AR coating will have been affected.

All in all, I'm just happy to have a nice system on the full FiT rate that I now feel happy about. Am looking forward to sunnier days, though am impressed that it's clocked up nearly 100kW in December!

Reddy · Dec 19, 2011

Good news and!

Wow 100kW in December, mine have only managed to clock up 7kW in about the last 2 weeks (4kW system, SW facing, Manchester)! Does this seem right?

and · Dec 20, 2011

Well, I believe I'm heading for 100kW by the end of December to be more accurate, from 1 Dec to yesterday, it is exactly 86kW.

Sunday 18 Dec, the sun was out = 8.8kW, yesterday it was grey and rainy = 0.5kW.

At the end of the day, it just depends on if the sun is out or not.

As you can see from the above, on a grey winters day, the output is negligable.

I chart my output on:

REC3.92kW 3.920kW

I also look at others outputs in various parts of the UK with similar sized arrays (3.92kW) ... which will be more interesting and relevant come spring and summer when it will be useful to know that my array is generating what it should be by comparing it to others.