US Solar Has a Quality Problem: What Buyers Need to Know

US Solar Has a Quality Problem: What Buyers Need to Know

From Clean Power Hour by Tim Montague, John Weaver

May 19, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

The episode discusses a report highlighting quality issues in US solar module production and its implications for developers.

A new report from Clean Energy Associates found that some solar module factories in their first year of production are hitting yield rates as low as 30%. That means 70% of modules coming off certain lines require rework before they ship. The finding applies directly to US manufacturers, most of which are still in early ramp-up stages. In this week's Clean Power Hour Live, Tim Montague and John Weaver break down what the report means for solar developers sourcing modules right now, why n...

People in this episode

Hosts: Tim Montague, John Weaver

Topics covered

  • solar quality
  • module production
  • yield rates
  • solar developers
  • manufacturing challenges

Keywords

  • solar modules
  • quality problem
  • yield rates
  • Clean Energy Associates
  • manufacturing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Clean Energy Associates, US manufacturers

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