Can solar panels be removed and reinstalled

Solar panels can be disassembled and reinstalled. Under the operation of professionals, the loss rate of disassembly and reinstallation is less than 5%. It is necessary to mark the original layout and connection method, use the same specifications of screws and sealing materials, and ensure that the waterproof performance and system efficiency are not affected.

Disassembly Feasibility

Last week we just completed a disassembly project for a 1.2MW rooftop power station in an industrial park - they needed to temporarily remove 326 modules due to factory expansion. When I led two engineers to climb onto the color steel tile roof, we found that the third array showed EL imaging displaying black spot diffusion, which is a typical precursor to hot spot effect. This job was like performing surgery on a dilapidated house - any carelessness could trigger secondary damage.

Currently, the wind pressure resistance coefficients of mainstream bracket systems on the market generally fluctuate within 2400Pa ±15% (SEMI M10-2023 standard), but the actual mechanical stress during disassembly can reach 1.8 times the design value. Especially when using four-hole pressure blocks, we've encountered cases where the probability of micro-cracks appearing at the glass-backsheet junction is 23% higher than at factory time (data from a T2 factory's after-sales in 2023). At this time, we must monitor the reading of the torque wrench - stop immediately if it exceeds 6.5N·m - a subcontracting team didn't pay attention last time, and three months after the entire row of modules were reinstalled, snail trails appeared.

The most troublesome case we encountered was a photovoltaic-agriculture complementary project five years ago. The disassembled modules were stored in the warehouse for eight months. When reinstalled, we found that the sealing rubber ring of the junction box aged 40% faster than expected - later laboratory simulation found that under ambient temperatures with a diurnal temperature difference >15°C, the service life of silicone was directly reduced by 30%. Now we require all returned modules to undergo water immersion tests, and any with a voltage leakage current exceeding 0.5mA/cm² are scrapped.

· Before disassembly, IV curve scanners must be used to create archives, with modules having a fill factor fluctuation >5% marked separately

· Drilling offset on color steel tile roofs exceeding 3mm can tear the waterproof layer, so thermal imaging cameras must be used for pre-location

· For modules transported with vibration frequency >50Hz, EL full inspection must be performed on-site before installation

Recently, while handling a 2.8MW project at a logistics park, we found that the double-glass modules disassembled had a 1.8 times higher brittle fracture rate than single-glass modules. This is directly related to the non-uniform pressure distribution on the contact surface of the bracket slot - we reviewed the statics simulation data from the beginning and found that the edge stress concentration areas perfectly matched the actual damage points. Now for such cases, elastic liners must be added to the claw positions, just like adding non-slip sleeves to glasses legs.

The lesson from last month: an EPC company left disassembled modules exposed in the open for half a month, resulting in EVA film water permeability exceeding standards and triggering PID attenuation. An oscilloscope captured that when nighttime humidity >85%, the system insulation impedance plummeted to 0.38MΩ (the lower limit specified by IEC 62108-2023 is 1.5MΩ). Now our standard operating procedures have two additional items: warehouse humidity must be monitored in real time, and returned modules must undergo 96-hour damp heat cycles first.

Cost Budget

Old Zhang just finished disassembling a commercial and industrial power station last week. He counted on his fingers and told me: "The labor cost for disassembly is 30% higher than installing a new power station, and the key point is that these modules get snail trails just from being moved around!" This old-timer has been a photovoltaic project manager for 8 years, having handled disassembly of 27MW projects. Last year he just finished relocating a 1.6MW rooftop power station for an automobile factory, and the CTM loss rate after reinstallation directly soared to 3.8%.

Disassembling solar modules isn't like moving furniture - labor costs make up the bulk of the expense and this must be understood clearly. Now skilled workers can earn up to 450 yuan per day, and when dealing with double-glazed glass, an additional 20% risk fee must be added. Last month at a logistics park in Suzhou, workers didn't notice the backsheet clips and directly crushed 6 double-glass modules - each module resulted in a net loss of 820 yuan!

· High-altitude operation fee: an additional 200 yuan per person per day for work above 3 meters

· Module protective film: 0.8 yuan/watt must be applied

· Inverter power-off subsidy: 15 yuan operational fee deducted for each hour of equipment disconnection

Material loss is the hidden pit. For a photovoltaic carport project that reinstalled last year, connectors could only be plugged and unplugged three times before needing replacement (according to IEC 62852 standard), and the MC4 accessories alone cost an extra 23,000 yuan. Not to mention those cracked cells - when scanned with an EL detector, the reinstalled modules were directly downgraded to B-grade products.

Don't underestimate bracket repositioning. A power station in Hebei was disassembled and reinstalled, but the latitude was offset by 2 degrees, directly reducing the annual power generation by 5%. Now workers must carry inclinometers, and adjusting the bracket position adds half an hour of work - this is all money!

When it comes to transportation, it's like opening a blind box. Last year, 182-size modules transported from Shandong to Inner Mongolia had 17 damaged during transit, and the insurance company disputed it as "inherent defects" and refused to pay. Now professional teams charge 15% more, but they use three-point suspension shelves, which reduce vibration by 80% compared to ordinary trucks.

The most troublesome is redoing the grid connection procedures. For a fishery-photovoltaic complementary project in Anhui, after disassembly and reinstallation, the power grid required a complete re-inspection, and the testing fees alone cost another 46,000 yuan. Project manager Old Li said that now when dismantling a power station, you need to report half a year in advance, otherwise the grid connection queue can drag on until you doubt your life.

Equipment depreciation is also a bottomless pit. An inverter left in the warehouse for three months after disassembly had its humidity exceed standards and two units were directly scrapped. Now those in the know require on-site use of desiccant tents, with monthly maintenance costs even higher than the equipment itself. So the disassembly of photovoltaic modules - without real skills, don't even try!

Professional Team

Last summer, when a photovoltaic factory was disassembling modules, workers accidentally tore the junction box, and the EL detection image immediately showed snail trails radiating from the crack. This directly caused a 23% power attenuation in the entire string of modules, with losses enough to buy a top-of-the-line Tesla - so the disassembly of solar modules is definitely not a manual labor job, but must be handled with the precision of surgical operations.

【Certification Licenses Are the Entry Ticket】

I've seen too many teams dare to disassemble photovoltaic modules with just ordinary electrician certificates. A truly professional team must be equipped with three hard-core qualifications:

1. UL 3703 standard certification (module disassembly specialty)

2. IPMVP international measurement and verification protocol training certificate

3. Live working permit issued by the local power grid company

When a 5MW power station in Jiangsu was relocated last year, the construction team didn't pay attention to the third item, which triggered the grid protection mechanism, taking the entire array offline for 36 hours, with fines alone costing over 80,000 yuan.

【Disassembly Operations Are Like Defusing Bombs】

Professional teams bring in specialized suction cup clamps for photovoltaic modules, and the adsorption pressure of these must be controlled between 0.6-0.8Bar. Too low pressure and the module will slip; too high and it may crack the glass surface. I remember a project in Shandong in 2023 where the clamps had excessive pressure, and after disassembly, the edges of the double-glass modules showed micro-cracks invisible to the naked eye, which three months later resulted in 15% of the cells showing cracks in EL detection.

【Data Tracking Is More Important Than Work】

Just last month, we handled a case in a Shenzhen factory: workers didn't record the original IV curve data for each module during disassembly, and after reinstallation, the system efficiency mysteriously dropped by 18%. Later we reviewed the surveillance footage and found that the positive and negative poles of 6 modules had been reversed - this kind of rookie mistake would never happen in a professional team, because we require taking three photos for every disassembled module:

· Close-up of the junction box label (including serial number)

· Panoramic view of the bracket fixing point

· Positioning of surrounding shading obstacles

Old Zhang, who has disassembled over two hundred megawatts, has a famous saying: "Disassembling photovoltaic modules is like moving precision instruments, and must be treated with the care of handling antiques". Their team last year took on a marine photovoltaic project and even did individual shockproof packaging for each module, with real-time vibration frequency monitoring during transport, successfully keeping the damage rate below 0.3%.

【Rainy Day Operations Have Hidden Challenges】

Novices are most likely to fail in weather conditions. Once during a sudden early morning downpour, a construction team rushed to finish work and, with wet hands, tried to unplug MC4 connectors. The result was that the DC arc melted the metal parts of the connector into lumps, and also burned out the anti-reverse diode of the inverter. Professional teams always carry three life-saving tools:

1. Infrared thermal imaging camera (real-time monitoring of connector temperature)

2. Polarity tester (reverse connection verification)

3. Waterproof insulated torque wrench (accurate to 0.1N·m)

Last year during typhoon season emergency repairs in Zhejiang, Old Wang's team relied on this equipment to safely disassemble 132 modules in a 14m/s wind speed storm, with zero accidents throughout. This incident was later written into IEC 60364-7-712:2023 as a supplementary case study, becoming an industry emergency operation benchmark.

Warranty Impact

Last year, a photovoltaic power station dismantled 87 panels for relocation, only to find that 21 of them exhibited black spots on EL (Electroluminescence) testing, leading to the manufacturer directly denying warranty claims. This incident serves as a stark reminder that disassembling solar panels is not as simple as moving furniture.

Current mainstream manufacturers' warranty clauses often include a clause stating: "Issues such as micro-cracks and hot spots caused by unauthorized disassembly are not covered by warranty." Last year, a project in Shandong encountered issues where workers used a regular wrench for disassembly, leading to 35% of the cells showing radioactive cracks three months later. The manufacturer denied the claim by comparing it with the stress test data from installation, citing the warranty exclusion for issues resulting from unauthorized disassembly.

A batch of 182 modules (SEMI PV24-017) experienced a CTM (Cell To Module) loss rate spike from 0.8% to 3.7% after disassembly and reinstallation. EL imaging revealed that 38% of the cells had dark areas ≥2cm². The manufacturer detected that the clamping pressure during disassembly exceeded the process standard by 12N, effectively reducing the 25-year warranty to just 5 years for the entire order.

There's a pitfall many are unaware of: humidity > 60% during disassembly can double the risk of PID (Potential Induced Degradation). A project in the south during the rainy season experienced a 5.8% drop in fill factor three months later, as detected by IV (Intrinsic Voltage) curve. The manufacturer used an infrared thermal imager to spot condensation inside the junction box, treating it as an "intentional environmental accident."

§ A double-sided module's backside gain dropped from 23% to 17% after disassembly and reinstallation, with drone inspections revealing 5 damaged mounting clamps.

§ Using non-original transport racks led to excessive glass stress, resulting in snowflake-shaped cracks on EL imaging.

§ Failure to archive IV curves during disassembly led to a lack of comparative baseline data in case of disputes.

Now, smart modules are playing tricks: disassembly automatically triggers the warranty counter. Some brands have vibration sensors in the junction box that upload cloud marks after more than three disassembly actions. Even more extreme, some manufacturers use AI to analyze the torque curve of installation screws, locking the warranty if the deviation exceeds 8%.

According to the IEC 61215-2024 module mechanical load test standard (report number IEC-MST-2273), modules that have been disassembled and reinstalled have a 47% higher failure probability in 5400Pa wind pressure tests compared to new modules. Last year, in a power station claims dispute, the insurance company used this data to deny a claim of 1.36 million yuan.

Roof Repair

Just last month, we completed the renovation of a 3.2GW module factory's old factory building. Upon removing the photovoltaic panels, we found the waterproof layer looked like moldy biscuits - black and cracked. The most fatal damage in roof repair is this hidden harm, with EL testing showing 23% of the cells had black spots, consistent with SEMI M33-0624's description of "roof deformation causing module micro-cracks."

Our infrared thermal imager scanned the entire roof, which was thumping like an electrocardiogram. The northwest corner temperature shot up to 78°C, 30% higher than the normal area. The most annoying thing is the waterproof layer buried under the old tiles. After 20 years of oxidation, it sinks half a centimeter when pressed by hand.In this case, direct disassembly? You'd be waiting for the shards of modules to fall.

Three Things to Do Before Disassembly

· Use a metal detector like a CT machine: Not to find steel bars, but to check for rust on the fixing bolts. Last year, a state-owned enterprise's factory disassembled panels and found a 12mm bolt had corroded to only 5mm thick, breaking easily with force.

· Waterproof layer permeability test: Use a watering can to simulate medium rain, testing the water permeability every 20 minutes. A logistics warehouse found areas with excessive permeability, corresponding to EL imaging black spots.

· Secondary verification of roof load capacity: Don't trust the original design drawings; now calculate with the snowfall coefficient and maintenance personnel weight. A N-type module factory suffered a 15cm depression in the roof during disassembly.

When dealing with roofs covered with photovoltaic panels and then steel tiles, it's like stacking blocks. Last year, we handled a car factory roof where the fourth layer of steel tiles was bent into a parabolic shape. In this case, we had to use a hydraulic lifting device to support the structure before moving the panels, similar to performing heart stent surgery.

The Devil's Details in Waterproof Repair

New TPO waterproof rolls? Don't praise them too quickly; their thermal expansion coefficient is more than twice that of photovoltaic panels. Last year, a project had drum kit just three months after completion, and EL testing immediately revealed a hot spot. We now use modified asphalt for the buffer layer, laid in three layers like a sandwich, with a 2cm expansion joint in the middle. This technique, learned from high-speed rail thermal expansion and contraction control, has been shown to reduce module stress damage by 80%.

The weirdest thing we encountered was a roof with trees growing on it - the roots of a banyan tree in a food factory's drainage ditch had bent the support by 7 degrees. When disassembling, we had to first perform roof ecosystem isolation, covering the entire work area with anti-root puncture film, similar to performing surgery in a sterile environment.

Case Study: A 1.6GW module factory renovation (SEMI PV22-0987)
The original plan was to complete the project in 20 days, but during the waterproof layer removal phase, we found corroded purlins. We temporarily deployed 12 carbon fiber reinforcement machines and used a patented roof reinforcement solution (CN202310782196.X), ultimately keeping the module reinstallation loss within 0.7%.

Now, for old factories built before 1990, we mandatorily require roof load dynamic simulation. Last time, we used ANSYS to calculate a frightening number.