Large-diameter hail risk is inevitable in some parts of the world, but large project losses are not. John Sedgwick, president of engineering advisory firm VDE Americas, shares some lessons learned about—and best practices for identifying, quantifying, and mitigating—severe hail risk in fielded solar assets.

American-Made Program awards $50,000 to VDE Americas-led Solar Prize team that uses RETC’s Hail Durability Test data. The Hail Cat team is developing a web-based software platform that will allow stakeholders to identify, quantify, and mitigate natural catastrophe (Nat Cat) perils associated with severe hail.

Join RETC, VDE Americas, and CAC Specialty for a pv magazine-hosted webinar on January 18, 2023. Our featured subject matter experts will share lessons learned about and best practices for identifying, quantifying, and mitigating severe hail risk based on project location and fielded PV module technology.

Developed by and for solar industry stakeholders, the first-ever commercial reliability and durability test standard for PV modules has been “separating the wheat from the chaff” since 2011. The Thresher Test was the product of a bottom-up collaborative effort involving an ad hoc team of experts led, in part, by RETC.

Funded by the U.S. government and led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 1975 to 1986, the FSA Project marks the genesis of the terrestrial solar market. RETC looks back at JPL’s ground-breaking work in the first of a series of articles about major milestones in PV module reliability and durability testing.

The value proposition associated with large-format PV modules is so compelling that some industry analysts expect 500 W+ modules to account for 90% of the market by 2025. When evaluating large-format module designs for specific applications, however, keep in mind that upfront savings may come at a cost.

Since 2015, insured solar project losses associated with extreme weather events are roughly twice the magnitude of those stemming from natural catastrophes. Viewed as a learning opportunity for project stakeholders, this breakdown of weather-related losses is enlightening.

In May 2019, hail damaged some 400,000 modules at the Midway Solar generating facility in West Texas, resulting in a previously unimaginable $80 million in insured losses. Recognizing that basic certification test standards are inadequate to identify and quantify the project risks associated with hail, RETC developed its innovative Hail Durability Test (HDT) program.

The solar boom in Texas illustrates the extreme highs and lows of life on the solarcoaster. Based on its sheer size and average sun hours, Texas is blessed with the nation’s best solar resource—it is also bedeviled by extreme weather risks that necessitate enhanced product testing protocols.

Next-generation n-type PV cells are essential to the solar industry’s continued ability to drive down costs while improving performance. Here, we explore the promise of new n-type PV cell designs —as well as the potential challenges associated with scaling this promising technology.

RETC is pleased to announce that David Brearley has joined the RETC team. As North American product marketing manager for VDE, the SolarPro magazine veteran will lead strategic communications and content marketing initiatives for VDE Americas and the Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC).

Renewable Energy Test Center, LLC (RETC) published its annual PV Module Index (PVMI 2020) report near the end of last year, using its independent test lab data to recognize high performers and showcase high achievement in PV module manufacturing.

This panel discussion-styled webinar will cover the latest developments related to trends of larger molecules and the solutions provided by RETC testing and STS verification. Specific attention will be afforded to the increased installations in riskier, hail-prone regions that the PV industry is seeing today.

Join us on December 17th at this webinar to hear experts Cherif Kedir and Daniel Chang from RETC, Alexandre Minuzzo and Frédéric Dross from STS, and Scott Stephens from Clearway Energy Group discuss. Register Now.

A global epidemic, extreme weather, and natural disasters, political elections… all occurring in the wake of changing technologies and materials. This year, we dive into the subjects that matter most in today’s thriving U.S. solar+storage market. The editorial team of pv magazine will moderate discussions relevant to the growing market with our Virtual Roundtables USA. Providing a virtual stage for our speakers, experts can easily join in from all of the country to bring industry and market insights directly to your home.

FREMONT, Calif., November 11, 2020 — Renewable Energy Test Center, LLC (RETC), a leading engineering services and certification testing provider, has published its annual PV Module Index (PVMI 2020) report. RETC’s PVMI report utilizes independent test lab data to recognize high performers and showcase high achievement in PV module manufacturing.

In this month’s AMA, RETC CEO Cherif Kedir joins Mayfield Renewables in discussing the important role that enhanced stress tests play in identifying and mitigating project and supply chain risk. PV power systems have a financial life expectancy measured in decades. Meanwhile, extreme weather is increasing in severity and frequency. In this context, beyond-qualification testing is one of the industry's most valuable tools for mitigating in-field risk.

Join us on November 10th at this GTM webinar to hear experts Alex Roedel from Nextracker, Michael Kolodner from Marsh, and Cherif Kedir from RETC discuss climate threats to utility scale solar and how advanced software technologies may offer mitigation opportunities for underwriters and solar developers. Register now.