Some people collect stamps, or coins, or baseball cards – my father collects hardware. Almost every time I go to my parent’s house I notice a few jars or boxes of bolts, nuts, screws, washers, and clamps. They are bought in bulk and sorted by size. I used to think it was ridiculous to do this, but my Dad actually uses enough of the hardware to save money, and I have never needed to run to the store during a project to get a special size piece of hardware. An old bolt may not look as pretty as a new bolt, but in applications that are simply for utility, an old bolt works just as well.
Solar panels that do not live up to visual specifications also share a utility, much like old bolts. They are certainly cheaper - and for a solar farm, small imperfections may not matter to the customer.
So now it’s my time to collect something. I’m not looking to collect old hardware or utility grade solar panels, I’m searching for the different criteria that module assemblers use to determine if modules are fit for residential or commercial use. This information can be used to help set the (IPC) standards for the industry. If you have information that could help, please send it to jhisert@indium.com. Thanks!