monitoring

Researchers from Egypt have utilized NodeMCU WiFi modules and a single-board Raspberry Pi to monitor and control PV modules. Their tests showed a “good degree of agreement” between the system and multimeter readings.

Vaisala, a Finnish environmental measurement specialist, has developed a solar-powered weather station to optimize the performance of solar plants. It provides ongoing measurements of solar irradiation and various weather parameters, such as wind speeds.

Owners and operators of PV hybrid systems need to monitor and control system operation and performance, which generally involves the collection of big data sets. Data visualization techniques can simplify the monitoring and allow issues to be quickly recognized, says IEA-PVPS.

When choosing a solar power plant, individuals and businesses pay the most attention to its power – after all, this will determine how much electricity will be produced. Other equipment, systems and sensors that allow monitoring and analysis of the operation of the power plant are often underestimated. But they shouldn’t be: the solar power plant will be used for several decades, so various failures and poor-quality monitoring can have a significant impact on the efficiency of electricity production.

Weather conditions have a huge influence on photovoltaic output. Even intermittent cloud cover can have a dramatic effect on incident solar energy, while other factors like air temperature, wind direction and speed, precipitation, humidity, and air pressure can all influence the efficiency of solar cells. Monitoring weather conditions accurately is crucial to understand variations in PV plant performance.

Scientists in India developed a mathematical model to predict the output of solar cells and modules in the field. The model was developed and tested using both sun simulator and actual installed modules. The scientists state that their model can be applied to a PV installation anywhere in the world, and that by taking into account module degradation over time their forecasts can be as much as 26% more accurate than existing energy yield models.

SA Water, one of the largest water utilities in Australia, has partnered with aerial solar inspection specialist Above to monitor the performance of its 360,000-plus solar panels.

U.K.-based Above has developed a digital approach to unifying PV plant testing and inspection data. The company said the new tool can create a permanent digital record for the future.

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory examined five-year data to observe the most common system failure points and how to prevent them. Researchers considered residential, commercial and utility scale plants and found interesting results. While failures cannot be avoided completely, a key takeaway was that close monitoring and timely repair can effectively mitigate the financial effects of failures.

The U.S. tracker provider has launched NX Navigator, a control system it says offers improved monitoring across a range of weather conditions. The company claims the software enables PV plant operators to schedule maintenance operations such as cleaning and mowing.