Thermal camera fault diagnosis
Thermal camera fault diagnosis
Why is it important to monitor the condition of solar panels?
Panel defects reduce energy production and thus yield. Nearly 20% of solar parks produce in their optimal operating condition, without any malfunctions – the remaining power plants experience a loss of revenue or even a fire hazard.
In the case of solar parks younger than one year, about 0.5-4% of solar panels show some kind of anomaly, the number of which only increases during operation. These defects can be detected with a thermal imager.
Yield loss can be prevented.
The failure of a single solar panel affects the performance of all panels connected in line with it, so it degrades the production of up to 21-22 other solar cells! If only 1% of the solar cells are faulty, but the faults are scattered in the power plant, they can affect 15-20% of the strings, which results in a loss of revenue of several million forints even in the case of a 0.5 MW power plant. With the help of our thermal imaging service, you can avoid the loss of yield of a power plant that has been operating incorrectly for several years – with reduced power!
What are the benefits of thermovision diagnostics?
- A thermovision survey can reveal defects that are not visible to the eye.
- It gives a comprehensive picture of the condition of the power plant to schedule the necessary maintenance. Prevention is always cheaper than treatment!
- Amennyiben nem hozza az erőmű az elvárt hozamot és nem tudja ennek az okát vagy nem tudja lokalizálni azt, a hőkamerás vizsgálat megoldást nyújt.
- Gyors és érintésmentes vizsgálati módszer, mely üzemközben elvégezhető, így nem szükséges drágafeszültségmentesítés.
- It is highly probable that the origin of the defect is a physical impact, a quality problem, a construction defect, or a manufacturer defect.
Why is a thermal imaging test necessary at the beginning of operation?
- No monitoring data is available at the beginning of the operating time for comparison, in case of some errors it may take years in the reduced operating mode.
- Relying solely on monitoring data can lead to erroneous conclusions about the condition of the solar park and the location and quantity of faulty panels.
- It provides a guarantee to both the contractor and the investor that the solar park is working properly.
What defects can a thermal imaging test detect?
- Solar panel faults
• PID (Potential induced degradation)
• Lamination
• Panel glass discoloration, breakage
• Cell fracture, micro cracks
• Snail trail effect
• Broken connecting guides
• Incorrect soldering
• Shunted, shorted cells
• Shadow effect
• Bypass diode error
• Warming solar cables
- Inverter errors
• Overloaded cables and other components
• Active / passive cooling problems
Steps of thermal camera fault diagnosis
First step
- High resolution thermal images
- Perfectly focused images
- Reflection-free recordings
- Documented irradiation values
- Professional grade camera based on IEC standard
Second step
- Identify and document warming areas
- Documented abnormal thermal patterns
- Professional software evaluation
Third step
- Temperature runoff test
- Recognize changes
- Categorization of faults
- Isolation of interference signals
Fourth step
- Pixel by pixel correction and post-processing
- Reference to nominal operating values
- Detection of inactive areas within the cell
- Power loss estimation
- Establishing a diagnosis
- Consultation of results