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Review of Case Materials
Reviews records, documents, testimony, data, and other relevant materials and consults with counsel regarding technical issues related to the matter.
Provide Expert Analysis
Applies specialized knowledge and experience to evaluate the technical or professional issues involved.
Form Expert Opinions
Develops independent, supportable opinions based on the available evidence and relevant standards.
Prepare Expert Reports
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A Solar Panel Expert Witness can examine the panel at both the physical and electrical levels. Relevant evidence may include glass and frame condition, individual cells, encapsulant and backsheet condition, junction boxes, connectors, photographs, current-voltage measurements, thermal or electroluminescence images, installation records, shipping history, maintenance information, and prior performance data. DOE describes a photovoltaic module as an assembly of interconnected solar cells packaged with materials such as glass, encapsulant, backsheets or rear glass, frames, and a junction box. These components can therefore provide separate lines of evidence when the origin of a panel problem is disputed.
Cell cracks can interrupt or reduce electrical pathways within a photovoltaic cell. Their significance depends on the crack location, extent, electrical isolation of affected areas, loading history, and whether the damage progresses over time. DOE-funded research has specifically examined how cell cracks contribute to module degradation and power loss. Hot spots are localized areas of elevated temperature and can be associated with cell defects, mismatch, shading, damaged interconnections, or other electrical conditions. DOE identifies hot spots, cracked cells, water intrusion, and delamination among module problems that may require investigation or repair.
Yes. A panel can sustain cell-level damage even when the front glass does not visibly fracture. DOE guidance on hail damage notes that impacts can create hidden cell cracking and recommends methods such as infrared, ultraviolet-fluorescence, or electroluminescence imaging when invisible damage is suspected. Electroluminescence can be particularly useful for identifying cell cracks. An expert can compare post-event findings with baseline images, weather information, installation condition, crack patterns, electrical performance, and other evidence to assess whether the observed damage is technically consistent with the alleged event.
Solar Panel, +4
Energy
Prepares clear, well-supported expert reports outlining methodology, analysis, findings, and opinions.
Provide Deposition Testimony
Explains findings and opinions under oath and responds to questioning during deposition testimony.
Testify in Court
Presents specialized findings and opinions clearly to judges, juries, arbitrators, or other decision-makers.
IEC 61215 addresses design qualification and type approval for terrestrial photovoltaic modules and includes testing intended to evaluate whether a module design can withstand specified environmental and mechanical stresses. Importantly, IEC states that successful qualification is not a quantitative prediction of module lifetime. The current IEC 61215 series also includes tests addressing issues such as dynamic mechanical loading and potential-induced degradation. IEC 61730-1:2023 and IEC 61730-2:2023 address photovoltaic-module safety qualification, including construction and testing intended to reduce electric-shock and fire risks and personal-injury risks associated with mechanical and environmental stresses. An expert can determine how relevant qualification records relate to the disputed module while avoiding the unsupported conclusion that certification alone proves how a particular field failure occurred.
