A Paper on Condition Assessment and Performance Monitoring of Solar PV Module through Thermal Imaging and I-V Curve

Abstract

Due to continuous increase in energy demand & exhaust of fossil fuel, demand of solar power plant and its installation of roof top module, is increasing significantly as clean, abundant & green source of energy. The ROI calculation for solar systems often assumes 20-25 years of power production which is based on the concept of gradual power loss due to aging of panels. These calculations don’t consider system deterioration caused by lightning storms, panel cell overheating and other failures. However, Significant Power loss occurs due to these failures. The core idea of this paper is to give the data/information on presence & identification of various faults responsible for power loss in solar modules & its effect on power output during operation or service condition. Performance of solar panels will be checked by using thermal scanning & I-V characteristics curve to ensure optimal solar power output. An analysis of data will be done to diagnose the faults and its effect on efficiency of solar module. Detailed study & continuous monitoring of solar panels can avoid power loss & increase reliability and availability of power.