Solar Quality Crisis: 58% Revenue Loss Due to Connector Failures
Solar and wind power each contribute around 11% to 12% of the U.S. energy mix, while coal accounts for nearly 15%. However, a recent report highlights significant quality issues in commercial solar projects, with connector failures causing substantial revenue losses.
A HelioVolta report, covering May 2021 to May 2025, examined 70 EPCs with over 1,000 projects totaling 5 GW of solar assets. The report found that improper wiring, grounding, or connections led to overheating and hotspots, causing 58% of revenue loss from commercial solar portfolios. Notably, companies like Canadian Solar and JinkoSolar faced significant quality problems.
The rush to meet accelerated deadlines for tax incentives may exacerbate these issues. Quality problems were widespread across EPCs of all sizes, with 7% of projects requiring immediate de-energization and same-day remediation. Independent oversight, however, can significantly improve construction quality, with only 15% of projects under such supervision having major issues.
Nearly 70% of EPCs surveyed have solar projects with significant quality issues, leading to higher incidents of unscheduled maintenance calls and output losses during remediation. As solar and wind power continue to grow in the U.S. energy mix, addressing these quality concerns will be crucial.
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