The only field inspector that arrives with the factory records of your own modules.
Sinovoltaics provides independent field inspection and testing for utility-scale solar PV plants across Europe - from the moment your modules arrive on site to the day your last warranty expires. Every EL image we take in the field is compared against the factory EL image of the same serial number, so hidden damage is not just found: its origin is proven.
[Request a field testing plan] — not sure which inspection you need? Tell us the problem; we design the scope.
What problem are you trying to solve?
Problem | Service |
Modules just arrived. Were they damaged in transport or handling? | |
We’re building. Is installation quality holding up? | |
We’re commissioning and need an independent baseline. | |
The plant is underperforming and we don’t know why. | |
We see hotspots or suspect hidden module damage. | |
Our EPC or product warranty expires soon. | |
We need to file - or defend - a warranty claim. | |
We had hail, storm, lightning or fire on site. |
The factory-to-field difference
Since 2009, Sinovoltaics engineers have inspected PV modules during production - capturing 100% EL images, flash-test data, serial numbers and bill-of-materials records on the factory floor for more than 25 GW of client equipment.
When those modules reach the field, our SELMA EL-analysis platform links every new image to its factory twin. A microcrack found in year five is matched against the module’s condition when it left the line, when it arrived on site, and at commissioning. The result is something no field-only inspection can produce: a defect timeline that assigns responsibility - manufacturing, transport, installation or operation - with evidence that OEMs, EPCs, insurers and lenders accept.
If we did not inspect your modules at the factory, our field services still apply in full. You simply start your baseline today - and every year after that compounds it.
Which inspection method finds which defect?
| Site issue or defect | EL testing | IR thermography | IV curve | UV-F | Visual | Electrical (RISO/LBPD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed modules or strings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Cell cracks / microcracks | ✓ | – | ◐ | ◐ | – | – |
| Lost bypass diode | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Soldering / interconnect faults | ✓ | ◐ | ◐ | – | – | – |
| PID | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| LeTID / UVID | ✓ | – | ◐ | – | – | – |
| Broken glass | – | – | – | – | ✓ | – |
| Backsheet degradation | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ |
| Insulation faults | – | – | – | – | ◐ | ✓ |
| Moisture ingress | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ |
| Hotspots / connection faults | ◐ | ✓ | ◐ | – | – | ✓ |
| Shading / soiling losses | – | ◐ | ✓ | – | ✓ | – |
| Transport & handling damage | ✓ | ◐ | ◐ | – | ✓ | – |
✓ = primary method / ◐ = supporting, depends on conditions / – = not typically used.
The right inspection plan usually combines two or three methods - request a field testing plan.
Field inspection methods
- Field EL Testing → Nighttime and daylight electroluminescence imaging, analysed by SELMA against your factory baseline.
- IR Thermography (IEC 62446-3) → Drone and handheld thermography flown and reported to the standard your insurer recognises.
- IV Curve & Electrical Testing → IV tracing, insulation resistance, bypass-diode and PID verification at module and string level.
- Visual & UV-F Inspection Structured visual surveys and UV-fluorescence checks for glass, backsheet and encapsulant issues.
- Glass Breakage & Failure Investigation → Root-cause analysis for spreading glass breakage, thermal events and systematic failures.
- BOS & Electrical Balance-of-System Checks Combiner boxes, connectors, cabling and earthing - inspected against installation standards.
Services across your asset’s life
(Phase strip: Factory → Shipment → On-Arrival → Construction → Commissioning → Operations)
On-Arrival Inspection - modules verified on delivery against their factory EL, before installation. Construction QA - installation workmanship surveilled to factory standards. Commissioning & Acceptance - independent verification before take-over. Annual Plant Health Program - one subscription: full plant visibility, every year. End-of-Warranty Campaigns - inspect before your rights expire. Warranty Claim Management - from evidence to settlement.
One program. Full plant visibility, every year.
The Annual Plant Health Program bundles drone IR thermography, field EL sampling and electrical checks into one annual Plant Health Report - trended year-on-year against your factory EL baseline. Priced per MWp per year, with fleet framework agreements available.
Explore the Annual Plant Health Program →
Where we inspect in Europe
EU-based site crews, mobilised per project, with mobile EL and thermography capacity: solar PV field inspection in Germany, PV plant inspection in Spain, solar inspection services in the Netherlands, and campaigns across Italy, France, Poland, the Nordics and the UK - plus worldwide delivery through the Sinovoltaics group offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City.
Why Sinovoltaics
- 2009 - active in solar quality assurance, on the factory floor
- 25+ GW - quality assured for PV & BESS buyers
- 350+ - PV & BESS factories audited
- ISO 9001:2015 · ISO/IEC 17020:2012 - certified management system, Type A inspection discipline
- Buy-side only - we never work for manufacturers, EPCs under inspection, or O&M providers
