HelioVolta report: Quality issues raise solar system’s LCOE by 20%

A new industry report on solar installations finds that sloppy workmanship can make a real difference in how much power a system delivers over its lifetime. HelioVolta, which inspects solar arrays for quality, looked at more than 1,500 systems across the country and found that quality problems can raise the levelized cost of energy, a measure of how much the power actually costs over the system's life, by more than 20%. The lowest-quality systems produced about 6% less power over their lifetimes and needed up to three times more unplanned repairs than the best-built ones.

The findings are striking: 87% of the inspected projects had major issues that needed urgent fixes, and 8% had critical problems serious enough to require shutting the system down immediately. Ground-mounted tracker systems, which tilt to follow the sun, had the worst track record, with 18% showing critical issues, mostly from failed connectors and poor wire management. Solar canopies, like those built over parking lots, performed best, with no critical issues found and just 59% showing major problems.

For most homeowners, this isn't about an immediate decision, but it's a reminder that how a solar system is installed matters as much as the equipment itself. If you have panels on your home, or are planning to add them, quality of workmanship can affect both how much electricity you generate and how often something needs repair down the road.