HOW SOLAR PANEL PACKAGING IS DONE

Solar panels undergo a process that constitutes many stages and are often time- and raw-material consuming in order for them to be sold. In many cases, the panels will need to be shipped over long distances for them to reach their destination. Being a high-priced product, the correct packaging of these panels plays a huge role in the outcome of the solar plant production.

Typically, panels are stacked either horizontally or vertically in a box. To ensure that they do not damage one another, separators are placed between each module and extra protections are added to each of the four corners of each module stack. Each module can also be packaged individually in a separate box and then placed into a marge master carton box.

The panels are usually shipped on pallets holding between 28 and 30 panels each. However, there is globally no accepted and widely applied standard for the packaging, loading, transport, and unloading of solar PV modules. Panel manufacturers often have their methods of packaging that may vary from one another.

Problems of Bad Packaging

When panels are stacked horizontally on top of one another, there can be stress applied on the panels below that at times, can lead to micro-cracks in the panel. These cracks can grow over time and will start affecting the efficiency of production. Hence the need for separators come into play, but they do not ensure that panels that are stacked horizontally will be stress-free.

This phenomenon is called the stiletto effect, where several hundreds of kilograms pressing on the corners of the bottom panels can lead to micro-cracks in the cells. One solution could be to pack the panels vertically to reduce top-to-bottom pressure and weight stress. Ideally, you would also want the pallets of the vertically packed panels to be banded and secured with protections so no space is left between the panels for them to move.

Not just mechanical stress, but rough handling during loading and unloading and stress vibrations can also cause damage to the panels. To ensure that these risks are minimized, manufacturers have to have strict rules and demonstrations on proper loading and unloading techniques for their workers.

Since solar energy is now gaining more traction across the world, proper packaging practices will play a vital role in maintaining a company\’s reputation. Some companies now specialize only in solar PV module packaging and offer advanced packaging materials and solutions. Until we have global standards for packaging, it is essential to ensure that proper packaging, loading, transport, and unloading procedures are met for solar panels.

Our online marketplace at SafEarth, has addressed a number of these problems and has made buying solar as easy as buying a phone online. Our customers can get the best quality system with the best solar packaging practices at a great price, without going through the hassles discussed above. We automate the entire procurement process for you and ensure that you only follow the best practices. In the past, we have reduced customer cost by nearly 10%, time by 40% and improved customer experience many folds. Connect with us today to see what solar and SafEarth can do for you.