Aerial IR Thermography for Solar PV Power Plants

 

 

Aerial IR Thermography for Solar PV Power Plants

 Due to its high testing convenience and efficiency, aerial infrared (IR) thermography has gradually become a standard inspection requirement for power plant commissioning and O&M. But why has this testing method become so popular? What specific issues can thermal imaging actually reveal? 

EL Inspection

 

 

EL inspection is a diagnostic method used to detect defects in solar cells, applicable to every level from individual cells to large-scale module arrays. Currently, 100% full inspection via EL has become standard practice during solar module manufacturing, and its application for on-site module array inspection in power plants is also gaining popularity.

But what exactly is EL inspection, and what kinds of defects can it detect? 

PV Module Quality Assurance

 

Optimizing Solar Power Plant Investments: 

PV Module Quality Assurance 

  

"Aren't all solar modules basically the same? Is quality control even necessary?"

As the most critical power-generating component of a solar power plant, any module failure can lead to consequences ranging from financial losses to severe safety hazards, such as electrical leakage or fire. It is certainly not something to be taken lightly.

In this article, we will examine what key aspects need to be controlled in PV module manufacturing—and what risks you face if quality control is neglected. 

Defects in PV module created during installation

Defects in PV module created during installation

After the previous article ‘Can people step on the modules?’ was published, many people asked questions like ‘Can people stand on the frame?’, ‘Does the impact during the workers move the module damage the module?’, ‘Does the dropped tools result in cell cracks?’… Here I share a report from ISFH [1] and our internal experiment result to give you some idea what might be dangerous during installation.

Can people step on the modules?

Can people step on the modules?

 Can people step on the modules? Although we have seen a lot of module damage in the field (On-siteEL is starting a quality revolution), but many people still doubt it. Frequently asked question is that modules can pass 5400Pa mechanical load test, which is 890 kg uniformly distributes on standard module (1.65m x 1m), why workers with weight less than 100 kg can not step on the module?

The Impact of Typhoon on PV Systems (2/2)- Module Strength

 The Impact of Typhoon on PV Systems (2/2)- Module Strength

Read part 1: The Impact of Typhoon on PV Systems (1/2)-Construction Structure

3. Module Strength

  Module strength mainly depends on the glass, frame, cell breakability and the interaction of all these factors.