Les infos SUNSTREAM

We have been asked this question a number of times and perhaps the answer is not as obvious as it should be Unfortunately it is staggering how photovoltaic panels are expected to be indestructible in construction applications. For example, most of our roof tiles would break sooner or later if someone walked all over them. And we’re talking about a product dating back thousands of years! Back to the initial question on modules…so the answer is no. It’s best not to walk on photovoltaic modules, because such localised mechanical load generated beneath our feet can result in the mechanical breakage of cells which we should remember, are 0.2 mm thick slices of silicon. Such micro cracks are not immediately visible as the panel’s tempered glass doesn’t break, however they can cause several problems: broken parts of the cell are isolated from the rest of the cell and no longer generate energy, reducing overall system performance. In such broken areas the creation of hot spots is also possible, which in turn may cause glass to break or result in localised fires. We advise you watch the video by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of Colorado, which uses electro-luminescence images (similar to x-rays) to show damage caused to cells when an operator carries out operations on the module, kneeling down or walking over it.