George Touloupas, Vice President of ESG and New Services at Intertek CEA, and Huatian Xu, Director of Technology and Quality, analyze the October 2025 results from the pv magazine test outdoor installations in Yinchuan, China, and Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Jörg Althaus and Huatian Xu detail how the Middle East’s rapid solar expansion is shaped by both aggressive local-content industrial policies and the region’s uniquely harsh desert conditions.

Intertek CEA identified a hidden mismatch between the design documents and the factory-assembled tracker + cleaning robot system before it could impact the project. Catching it early helped the client avoid delays, rework, and long-term performance risk.

George Touloupas, Intertek CEA’s vice president of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and new services, outlines how rapidly expanding ESG regulations—spanning UFLPA, CSRD, CSDDD and emerging forced-labour laws—are pushing Europe’s solar sector toward unprecedented supply-chain transparency.

Jeff Zwijack, Intertek CEA’s Senior Manager for Energy Storage, explains how tariffs are driving a shift to U.S. battery integration. He notes that while local assembly scales quickly, it introduces human variability requiring strict oversight.

Daniel Finn-Foley of Intertek CEA discusses how lithium-ion batteries have rapidly reshaped the U.S. power sector, growing from about 1 GWh of installations in 2020 to more than 30 GWh by 2024. He warns that new tariffs and FEOC restrictions are straining supply chains, making early procurement crucial as compliant domestic capacity tightens.

George Touloupas, vice president ESG and New Services at Intertek CEA, outlines the growing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) obligations facing the solar and energy storage industries as global renewable deployment accelerates.

Clean Energy Associates becomes Intertek CEA, further solidifying the integration of Intertek’s solar and energy storage businesses. 

Joerg Althaus, Intertek CEA’s Director of Engineering Services and Quality Assurance, warns that racking complexity, corrosion, evolving supply chains, and rising glass breakage risks pose growing challenges to solar PV projects.

Jeff Zwijack highlights how most quality issues in battery energy storage systems emerge during final integration rather than cell production, with defects like faulty fire suppression, poor thermal management, and enclosure weaknesses frequently slipping through.

George Touloupas, Vice President of ESG and New Services at Intertek CEA, and Huatian Xu, the company’s Director of Technology and Quality, analyze the first three months of performance data from the new pv magazine outdoor test installation in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. 

Jörg Althaus of Intertek CEA and Andreas Fladung of Aerial PV Inspection highlight how electroluminescence (EL) testing — including drone-based approaches — can uncover microcracks, early degradation, and installation-related damage.

Intertek CEA's engineering experts highlight how overlooked site-specific challenges such as poor soil conditions, flash floods, complex terrain, and extreme wind loading in Southeast Asia can derail solar projects if not addressed early through rigorous engineering and civil due diligence.

Jeff Zwijack, Associate Director of Energy Storage at Intertek CEA, explains that most defects in battery energy storage systems arise during system-level integration rather than cell or module production.

This article highlights how Intertek CEA’s audit prevented defective battery cabinets from reaching a project site and exposed the supplier’s resale of unsafe equipment. The case underscores the importance of independent quality oversight.

Intertek CEA highlights that fire suppression system issues were identified in 28% of energy storage systems during factory inspections.

Solar modules are growing larger, thinner, and more powerful—but a recurring issue is emerging worldwide: broken glass. According to Intertek CEA’s Joerg Althaus, these cracks often start near the frame or clamps and can spread from a few panels to thousands, without any obvious cause like hail or mishandling.

Sonnedix, an international renewable energy producer, engaged Intertek CEA to conduct commissioning inspections for its recently-installed solar projects. The goal of the work was to ensure that their contractor (EPC) followed the agreed scope of work.

Martin Meyers explores how the Inflation Reduction Act is reshaping U.S. solar manufacturing incentives and project economics. He highlights the evolving challenges developers face in navigating domestic content requirements and qualifying for bonus tax credits.

Intrtek CEA’s Senior Energy Storage Engineer Ahn Vu explores how alternative technologies to lithium-ion are unlikely to oust the incumbent anytime soon.