Graphical diagnosis of performances in photovoltaic systems: A case study in southern Spain

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Abstract

The starting point of the operation and maintenance tasks in photovoltaic plants is the continuous monitoring and supervision of its components. The great amount of registered data requires a major improvement in the ways this information is processed and analyzed to rapidly detect any potential fault, without incurring additional costs. In this paper, a procedure to perform a detailed graphical supported analysis of the operation of photovoltaic installations, based on inverter data, and using a self-developed application, is presented. The program carries out the automated processing of the registered data, providing their access and visualization by means of color maps. These graphs allow a large volume of data set to be simultaneously represented in a readable way, enabling operation and maintenance operators to quickly detect patterns that would require any type of intervention. As a case study, the operation of a grid-connected photovoltaic plant located in southern Spain was studied during a period of three years. The average daily efficiency values of the PV modules and inverters were in the range of 7.6-14.6%, and 73.5-94% respectively. Moreover, the presence of shadings, as well as the hours and days mainly affected by this issue, was easily detected.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1064
JournalEnergies
Volume10
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Graphical malfunction detection
  • Loss analysis
  • Performance analysis
  • Photovoltaic plants
  • Software development

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