Broken Solar Panels? You’re Not Alone.
Stacks of broken solar panels at an installation site.
A recent article published in Solar Power World discusses the challenges of protecting solar panels during shipping, handling, and storage. Despite their durability, panels are vulnerable to damage in transit, with breakage rates of 1-2% (some companies cite upwards of 7% breakage rates). Traditional wooden pallets and plastic wrap offer limited protection, leading to issues like forklift damage, falling panels, and exposure to elements—and it’s costing the industry billions of dollars in breakage and disposal fees. Unsurprisingly, the industry is pushing for improved testing and handling standards to better safeguard panels, thereby minimizing losses and increasing efficiency.
Here are some other key points from the article:
Traditional packaging methods using wooden pallets and plastic wrap present challenges that need to be overcome for secure, safe transit of solar panels.
Adverse weather conditions and contaminant risks highlight the importance of more stringent protective protocols during storage and handling.
Industry standards such as the IEC code focus on testing panel security during transportation to enhance handling practices.
Collaborative innovation between manufacturers and suppliers is key to implementing sustainable packaging solutions and reducing waste in the solar sector.
Sustainable packaging solutions like the PVpallet’s solar panel pallet offer a promising way to protect solar panels during transportation and storage.
For more details, read the full article here.
Need a better way to handle your solar panels? Contact us today.
