Certified product selection
Certified product selection is a preventive measure: only certified and tested products are chosen for the PV system. It is named as the basic preventive measure against delamination, which mainly comes from raw material quality, the manufacturing process and environmental exposure in the field. Against backsheet chalking, the recommended preventive step is to check that the IEC 61215 certification is valid and to check the bill of materials. Chalking can be an early sign of backsheet cracking and loss of electrical insulation, so checking the certification and materials early also helps reduce these follow-on risks. Where higher snow or hail loads are expected, the guidance is to use certified modules. This goes together with proper transport and with installation and cleaning done by trained staff. Backsheet cracking of type III usually affects all modules that share the same bill of materials, and the whole system may then need repowering, repair or module replacement. Choosing certified products does not fix defects that are already there. Modules that are no longer electrically safe must be replaced, and modules with minor defects should be checked with regular visual inspections and ground fault detection.
<!-- review notes
- sentence 4: support check: partial - Chalking as precursor to cracking and insulation failures is stated, but the claim that early certification/BOM checks reduce follow-on risks is not stated.
- sentence 7: support check: partial - Replacement of unsafe modules and monitoring minor delamination with visual inspection and ground fault detection are stated for delamination, but the explicit claim that certified products don't fix existing defects is only implied. -->
Referenced by
- Backsheet Chalking
mitigated_byc11 - Backsheet Cracking
mitigated_byc28 - Delamination
mitigated_byc31 - Loss of electrical insulation
mitigated_byc17 - Rapid shutdown mode misconfiguration
mitigated_byc7