With the growing demand for photovoltaics, there has been a successive increase in demand for photovoltaic panels. Unfortunately, with the increase in interest, a whole range of fake solar panels and scams have appeared on the market, which at first glance appear to be an attractive and cheaper offer for the original panels. However, using them can have serious consequences for the entire installation and lead to the loss of many of the benefits that come with buying original tempered glass panels. In this article, we take you through the potential drawbacks of counterfeit panels and how to recognize them to protect yourself from installing them.

We can divide fraudulent photovoltaic panels into those that are sold under the brand name of completely unknown manufacturers and have no specific source of origin, and panels from well-known companies, imported outside of official distribution. Often these types of products have no information about the composition and parameters. For this reason, they also do not have valid certificates, tests and guarantees, which is extremely important for the end customer.

The first danger associated with counterfeit photovoltaic solar products is their quality. They are often made of cheap materials and less stringent manufacturing standards are used. This leads to lower efficiency and shorter solar cell life. Poor quality can also lead to the failure of the photovoltaic system as a whole, which in turn increases the risk of financial loss and lack of expected economic benefits for both the end customer and the installer (e.g., when non-authentic solar panels need to be replaced with new ones). One of the main risks associated with fake solar panels is their quality. Often they are made of low-quality materials and less stringent manufacturing standards are used. This leads to lower efficiency and shorter panel life. Poor quality can also cause the entire photovoltaic system to fail, which in turn increases the risk of financial loss and lack of expected economic benefits for both the end customer and the installer (for example, if non-original panels need to be replaced with new ones).

Counterfeit solar panels also often do not meet the necessary safety standards and lack quality certification. This means they can be more susceptible to mechanical damage, overheating or fires. Such risks are particularly dangerous when fake panels are installed on residential or commercial rooftops, where they pose a potential threat to life and property. The increased resistance of non-original and low quality solar cells also results in a greater tendency for hot-spots to occur. These are manifested by the appearance of a point on the silicon wafer that has a much higher resistance, which manifests itself in the occurrence of a much higher temperature. And this can directly lead even to spontaneous combustion of the solar cell string. Often defective photovoltaic panels also do not meet safety requirements and do not have the appropriate quality certificates. This means they can more easily suffer mechanical damage to the panels glass, overheating or ignition. This type of risk is particularly dangerous when photovoltaic panels are installed on residential or commercial rooftops, where they pose a potential threat to life and property. In addition, counterfeit  cells have higher resistance and a greater tendency to form so-called hot-spots. This manifests itself as the appearance of a spot on the silicon wafer that has a much higher resistance and leads to a much higher temperature. This can even directly lead to self-ignition of the panel.

Another factor to consider is the lack of warranty and technical support when buying panels from unknown solar panel manufacturers.

Let's take a look at what the situation looks like in the example of thermal imaging of a large-scale photovoltaic farm, where authentic solar panels are used on the left and non-original ones on the right. The red color indicates that the panels are heated, which is evidence that they are operating at a significantly higher temperature, and upon closer inspection, you can see the so-called hot-spots, which are missing on the left side.

Investing in authentic solar panels from an authorized distributor has many benefits. First, you can be sure of the quality and reliability of the product. Prime solar panels are made of high-quality materials, meet the highest manufacturing standards, and are subject to quality testing. As a result, you can be sure that they will perform optimally for many years, which is important, especially for the end customer.

Secondly, manufacturers of established solar panels provide a long-term warranty on their products. This means that in the event of a failure or reduction in performance, you can count on the manufacturer's support to repair or replace the solar panel. The warranty also gives you peace of mind that your investment in solar panels is protected, and it is possible to recover costs in case of any problems.

Third, the use of real solar panels has a positive impact on energy efficiency and financial savings. High-quality solar cells ensure higher efficiency and longer life, which translates into higher electricity production.

How do you detect a fake solar panel while you install one? Imitation solar panels are difficult to recognize at first glance because very often they do not differ in appearance from the others. Some manufacturers, in order to prevent this process, have introduced solutions to protect the user. An example is the solar company AE Solar with the whole manufacturing process in Germany, which, in response to the growing number of fakes of these modules circulating on the market, decided to curb this and introduced a special mobile application that has the option to check the originality of the solar panel thru a barcode. It works as follows: you scan the serial number and then apply your phone to the module's NFC chip, and in this way, you can check information about the production date, parameters, and, if necessary, get technical support.

AE Solar's top solar panles have gained considerable popularity in the Polish market in recent years. Installers and end-customers have appreciated them for their long-standing 15/30-year warranty, high efficiency, stability, and pioneering solutions such as dedicated application, hot-spot immunity, and others. The measures have been appreciated by consumers, making AE Solar every solar module on the TIER1 list. In Poland, they can be found in the distribution of Greto Polska of Gdynia.

The best protection against buying fake panels is choosing manufacturers that have introduced solutions to protect against selling fake solar panels, it is worth remembering to always buy original solar from a trusted authorized distributor of a particular product and to ask the seller about quality certificates such as ISO certification, CE certification (an indication of compliance with European standards), and other important industry certifications. It's also worth reading the warranty terms and conditions and being cautious when buying solar systems that are offered at a suspiciously cheap price.

For more information about AE Solar: Click here

Contact information:

biuro@greto.com.pl