11/04/2017
Anonymous
Installed 60 panel 17.1 kw system with enphase 280 micrinverters 06/2016. Went with the American made in Georgia company with a 25 year warranty and great reviews. Had a panel fail ( lost 1/3 of its power output ) and was told you have no more warranty on your panels that are just over a year old, Suniva is in bankruptcy with no one honoring the warranty. Wholesale Solar wanted to sell me a replacement solarworld panel for Apx $500 including shipping ( their special cost price to help out ). I decided to pull the panel to see if I could do anything with it. I found the panel bus bar system basically divides the system into 3rds and that one on the solder joints under the junction box on the back of the panel was bad. Peeled away all the silicone, resoldered the connection and it is back to producing full power. I hope this is an isolated incident as i have 60 of these ( with apx 24 years of warranty, not, remaining ) and it was not easy to take it down and repair, thank goodness it was on the end and at the top instead of in the middle of the array. Hope this helps anybody showing reduced output on a panel ( in enlighten you will see a panel lagging behind the others, say 59 panels putting out 225w and one putting out 152W).