Module replacement

Module replacement means taking a damaged PV module out of service and installing a sound one in its place. It is the corrective action for bypass diode failure, junction box failure, cell interconnection failure, glass breakage, cell cracks and module hotspots from cell damage. For a hotspot, isolate the string, check the thermal signature under load, replace the module once cell damage is confirmed, and retest string current after the repair. One thermal anomaly does not prove permanent damage. Confirm the electrical impact and check that the anomaly repeats before you approve a replacement, and raise priority if several modules in the same string show related signatures. Monitor cracked modules for progression and replace them only when a severe inactive area or hotspot risk is confirmed. Replace modules with interconnect failures when those failures are electrically active. Replace modules with broken glass when there is a safety or insulation risk, and look into root causes such as clamp stress, hail, handling or thermal damage so the failure does not come back. For diode or junction box faults, you can replace either the whole module or a qualified diode or junction box assembly. Isolate the module for safety first if there are arcing or burn marks, and check string behaviour after the repair. A manufacturer warranty may cover the replacement module but not the labour to remove, ship and reinstall it. The warranty can also be voided by mishandling, such as storing modules improperly on site. If a like-for-like swap is not possible, repowering may be needed. When you replace only part of the modules, swap more than strictly needed so the old modules that are still intact can be kept as spares.

<!-- review notes

• sentence 1: support check: partial - Mitigation texts list replacement for each listed failure, but the definition of module replacement isn't stated, and several are conditional (cracks only if severe, interconnects only if electrically active, glass only if safety risk).
• sentence 3: support check: partial - Engineering notes support the single anomaly, verifying electrical impact and repeatability, and escalating for multiple modules in a string, but 'repeats' is also stated as stable across inspections; this is mostly matched, though 'raise priority' is tied to either condition and fine—minor wording differences only; core is present. -->