Institute

FOP

Systems
Engineering
Informatics

JOINT
RESEARCH
CENTRE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
 JOINT
RESEARCH
CENTRE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics

Guidelines for the Assessment of Photovoltaic Plants

Document A
Photovoltaic System Monitoring
Edited by:
G. Blaesser, D. Munro (Halcrow & Gilbert)

1995 Report EUR 16338 EN

Issue 4.2 (June 1993)

 LEGAL NOTICE

Neither the European Commission nor any perso n

acting o n behalf o f the Co mmissio n is respo nsible fo r the use which
might be made of the following information

Catalogue : CL-NA-16338-EN-C
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995
© ECSC-EC-EAEC Brussels ■ Luxembo urg, 1995
Printed in Italy
 PREFACE

This document has been prepared by the Joint Research Centre of the European
Communities, Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI), sector ESTI
(European Solar Test Installation), Ispra (ITALY), with technical support from the
European Working Group on PV Plant Monitoring and taking into account recent
recommendations of IEC/TC82/WG3. The recommendations given in this document
have been developed to support the PV Demonstration Programme and the THERMIE
Programme of the Commission of the European Communities Directorate General for
Energy (DG XVII). However, their use by others is encouraged.
For further analysis and presentation of these data reference should be made to
Document B of these Guidelines. ESTI would welcome comments on this document
and suggestions for improvement.
Contents
1 INTRODUCTION 4

2 R E Q U I R E M E N T S FOR A N A L Y T I C A L M O N I T O R I N G 4
2.1 Parameters to be Recorded 4
2.1.1 Main System 4
2.1.2 Back-up System 5
2.2 Format of Records 5
3 R E Q U I R E M E N T S FOR GLOBAL M O N I T O R I N G 5
3.1 Parameters to be Recorded 5
3.2 Format of Records 5

4 DATA P R O C E S S I N G 6
4.1 Submission of Data to the JRC 6
4.2 Data Processing at the JRC 6

ANNEXES
• A — Recorded Parameters
• B — Recommendations for Selection and Installation of Data Acquisition Systems
• C — Recording Format
• D — Cover Sheet for Monitoring Data
• E — Data Sheet for Photovoltaic Installations
• F — Record Sheet for Global PV Plant Monitoring
1 INTRODUCTION
Data obtained during the operation of a photovoltaic power plant are of interest for
judging whether the design goals have been met. They are also of importance for a
general assessment of the potential of PV-technology, and thus for the future use of
such installations. Finally, they should provide a data base for the improvement of PV
system design and operation.
To obtain sufficiently complete sets of data for such purposes requires rather detailed
or "analytical" monitoring in accordance with the requirements set out in these Guide-
lines. In general, unless otherwise agreed, analytical monitoring will be applied for at
least 24 months for all PV installations with peak power of 5 kW or more.
In view of the cost involved in analytical monitoring, sufficient evidence for a general
assessment of the performance of a PV installation may be obtained by determining
the overall energy balance from regular readings of suitable counters. This procedure,
referred to as "global" monitoring, will in general be applied for all PV installations
with peak power less than 5 kW.
For some small installations, however, it may be appropriate to apply analytical
monitoring for a few months only and then revert to global monitoring for the remainder
of the monitoring period.
The treatment of the large amount of information collected for monitoring purposes,
with the aim of making reliable comparisons between different stations, requires the
adoption of a commonly agreed minimum set of quantities to be measured as well as
standard recording techniques. These guidelines give the information which is necessary
for the implementation of such monitoring systems.

2 R E Q U I R E M E N T S F O R ANALYTICAL M O N I T O R I N G
2.1 Parameters t o be Recorded
2.1.1 Main System

An automatic data acquisition system is required for analytical monitoring. This may
be achieved by a dedicated computer with suitable peripherals and programs or a data
logger capable of recording the data on the required medium in the correct format.
Recommendations for the selection of automatic data acquisition equipment are given
in Annex B.
The minimum set of parameters to be monitored is listed in Annex A, Table I, with
symbols and units. The required accuracies are stated in the footnote to that table.
The corresponding points of measurement are indicated in Annex A, Fig.l. It may be
necessary to record additional parameters according to the requirements of a particular
project.
Apart from the meteorological data (including temperature) all parameters are cur-
rents, voltages or powers characterising the operation of the system (consisting of the
PV field and the associated loads, power conditioners, battery storage etc.).
In general, only aggregate values of each parameter are required: for example, if
currents or voltagess of subfields of the total array field are separately measured, only
their sums should enter the final monitoring record as IAIVA\ if several DC-loads are
present, the total current to all these loads gives IL.DC- The AC power supplied to AC
loads from an AC backup generator should be recorded as PBU,AC- The DC ci,,—ent
supplied to the storage battery or to DC loads from a DC backup generator (or through
a rectifier from the grid or from an AC backup generator) should be recorded as IBU,DC-
If preferred, DC power values may be calculated, stored and recorded.
The AC power measurements may be performed directly by analog techniques and
the resulting power signal digitized by the A/D-interface of the data acquisition system
(computer or data logger).
All numerical data should be recorded on data storage at intervals tr (recording period.
tr should normally equal 1 hr if averages over 1 minute (or shorter) samples are taken.
However, if such averaging is not possible, instantaneous samples recorded at 10 minute
intervals are acceptable; in this case tr will be 10 minutes.

2.1.2 Back-up System

It is recommended that in addition to the main data acquisition system, a simple inde-
pendent system with energy meters be installed, to record the solar input by a calibrated
reference device (Gj), electrical energy consumption EL and in case of grid-connected
systems energies delivered to the utility EJU ^d taken from the utility Epu- In order
to obtain long term data on system performance it is also recommended that this sim-
ple back-up system continues its operation after the end of the contractual monitoring
period.

2.2 F o r m a t of Records
The data should be recorded or copied off-line in the format given in Annex C on
MS-DOS 5.25" or 3.5" floppy disks.
Under special circumstances, other recording media or direct transfer of data by
satellite, computer network or telephone line may be accepted subject to agreement
between the parties concerned.
All data should be written in directly printable form (ASCII). The details of the
recording format are given in Annex C. If data compression is used either the data
should be auto-decompressive (.EXE) or the decompression routines should be provided
together with the first set of data.

3 R E Q U I R E M E N T S F O R GLOBAL M O N I T O R I N G
3.1 P a r a m e t e r s t o b e Recorded
A manual system of recording data is appropriate for global monitoring. The minimum
set of parameters to be monitored is listed in Table II, Annex A, with symbols and
units. The required accuracies are stated in the footnote to the table.
The cumulative readings of the listed parameters should be recorded manually at
intervals not exceeding one month and preferably much shorter (daily or weekly if
possible).

3.2 F o r m a t of Records
The cumulative data should be entered onto standard record sheets. A suggested format
is given in Annex F.
4 DATA P R O C E S S I N G
4.1 Submission of D a t a t o t h e JRC
All recordings (covering reporting periods T of not less than one month and not more
than three months should be sent to the JRC Ispra together with information helpful for
the interpretation and evaluation of the data. This information may be given in a note
or a README-file in plain ASCII text on the data diskette. The suggested pro-forma
for the covering note is given in Annex D. In particular, if the recording format or data
sequence differs from that of Annex C the recording format used must be described in
detail in that note.
In addition, with the first set of records (if not previously submitted), a data sheet
setting out basic information relating to the plant should be sent to the JRC. The
suggested pro-forma for the data sheet is given in Annex E.

4.2 D a t a Processing a t t h e JRC

The data received by the JRC from stations with analytical monitoring will be entered
into the main computer of ESTI for analysis and evaluation, including the preparation
of a report (as specified in Document B, "Analysis and Presentation of Monitoring
Data"), summarising the main results for that period; a copy"of this report is sent to
the station manager. The data files will be kept online and also stored for backup, and
they are accessible via public computer networks to all authorized users.
For all stations (with analytical or global monitoring) ESTI will also produce inter-
mediate summary reports covering periods of six months or more, and final reports at
the end of the monitoring period. These intermediate and final reports will be generally
available.
 Annex A — Recorded P a r a m e t e r s
T A B L E I: Recorded P a r a m e t e r s for Analytical M o n i t o r i n g

PARAMETER SYMBOL UNIT

Irradiance, total (array plane) Gj W/m2
Ambient temperature in the shade T °C
■'■am
Array output voltage vA V
Array output current (total) IA A
Converter output current Ic A
Current input to storage b attery hi A
Current output from storage b attery I so A
dc line voltage (b attery voltage) Vs V
Current to all dedicated dc loads IL,DC A
Inverter/rectifier dc current (+/-) In A
Inverter/rectifier ac power (+/-) Pio kW
Power to all dedicated ac loads PL,AC kW
Power to the utility grid PTV kW
Power from the utility grid PFU kW
Power from auxiliary ac generator PBU,AC kW
Current from auxiliary dc generator IBU.DC A
Non-availability to load INAV hr

P O W E R FLOW D I A G R A M

DC-Loads AC-Loads

IL,DC PL.AC

PV-Array IA DC/DC Ic Vs In DC/AC Pio PTV Utility

vA PFU

G/,Tom hr /he > IBUJ)C PBV.AC

Storage BU Gen.DC BU Gen.AC

 NOTES:
1. All data are hourly sums or means.
2. The total irradiance Gj should be measured with a crystalline silicon reference device. The type shall be
qualified for durability by tests similar to those laid down in EC Spec.503 for modules (or equivalent). The
calibration shall be earned out (using one of the procedures laid down in EC Spec.103) to AM 1.5 total
sunlight in accordance with IEC 904-3 (1989). Special attention should be given to the precise alignment
of the reference device with the array plane.
3. T„ m should be determined to within ± 2 ° C and the electrical data to within ±2% f.s.
4. The energy consumed by the data acquisition system should be considered as part of the external load and
not as internal losses (i.e. included in IL,DC or PL.AC)-
5. Where applicable parameters relating to product flows should be also recorded (e.g. pressure head and
pumped volumes in the case of pumping systems)

TABLE II: Recorded Parameters for Global Monitoring

PARAMETER SYMBOL UNIT

Irradiation, array plane Hj Whim2

Potential array output energy EP kWh
Array output energy EA kWh
Energy to loads EL kWh
Energy to utility grid ETU kWh
Energy from utility grid EFU kWh
Energy from auxiliary generator EBV kWh
Non-Availability to load tNAV hr

NOTES:
1. All data are sums over selected periods the duration of which should be indicated.
2. The irradiation Hi should be measured with a (crystalline silicon) reference device. The type shall be
qualified for durability by tests similar to those laid down in EC Spec.503 for modules (or equivalent). The
calibration shall be carried out (using one of the procedures laid down in EC Spec.103) to AM 1.5 total
sunlight in accordance with IEC 904-3 (1989). Special attention should be given to the precise alignment
of the reference device with the array plane. If potential array energy is determined directly (by a method
that must be described) the irradiation Hi need not be recorded.
3. Potential array energy is understood as the maximal energy that could have been extracted from the array
under the given irradiation conditions. It might be estimated from in-plane irradiation Hi and nominal
array efficiency or from the sum of the array output energy during normal operation and the available but
unused energy during periods when the battery is fully charged and consumption is low. It may also be
recorded directly if one string of modules is permanently attached to the battery and its output is monitored
separately.
4. The electrical data shall be determined to within ± 5 % f.s.
5. Instead of EA,EP,EL and EBU the time integral of the corresponding currents [Ah] may be recorded
and energy values deduced using the nominal battery voltage. However this should "be avoided as it will
systematically underestimate EA and Ep, and overestimate EL and EG-
6. The 'Non-Availability to Load' parameter shall record the cumulative time that power is not available at
the load terminals, not the time the load is switched off. If this time is not measured directly by the
monitoring system it should be estimated by the user.
 ANNEX B

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S FOR SELECTION A N D INSTALLATION

OF DATA ACQUISITION S Y S T E M S

B.l Selection of Systems for Analytical Monitoring

The following recommendations relate to microprocessor-based control and/or data ac-

quisition systems and are based on experience gained from the operation of existing
photovoltaic plants:
1. The system should be easy to use. It should be reprogrammable on site, either
with a dedicated computer terminal or a 'laptop' portable computer.
2. Technical support for the hardware and software should be available and this
should not be limited to individual suppliers.
3. The hardware and software should all be properly documented. In the case of
software, there should be a user's manual and a programmer's manual. The purpose
of the documentation is to reduce the problems associated with changes in personnel
and to permit improvements in system design.
4. An inventory of spare parts should be kept on site. Standard cards should be
available as spares. A list of suppliers of cards and transducers should also be available
on site.
5. The system must be sufficiently rugged to withstand the environmental stresses
encountered during its operation.
6. Its average power consumption should be low (typically less than 5-10 W).
B.2 EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility)
RF energy ('noise') may be conducted down or up DC cabling and transmitted as elec-
tromagnetic interference, causing malfunctioning of electronic components and errors
in monitored data records. The parasitic signals may come from outside, induced in
wires, or they may be internal in origin, coming for example from power conditioning,
electronics for lighting tubes and other switching devices.
Due account needs to be taken of such problems in the design, testing and protection
of both global and analytical monitoring systems. Practical recommendations include:
• the use of twisted and shielded wires
• the avoidance of ground loops in the shielding
• the avoidance of coupling between power cables and signal wires
• the use of separate termination boxes for power cables and signal wires.
If the system is sensitive to noise, protective devices such as filters, diodes, varistors
and, if necessary,Faraday shielding, should be installed.
The signal lines should be protected against overvoltages induced by nearby lightning
strikes. Special attention should be given to long data lines for external sensors and to
telephone lines.
 ANNEX C
RECORDING FORMAT

The results of a recording period tr (1 hour if averages over one-minute samples are
taken, or 10 minutes if no averaging is used) form a data group. Each data group is
subdivided into records, comparable to lines in printing. Records are separated by a
carriage return ('CR'=ASCII(13)), or a linefeed ('LF'=ASCII(15) or both. Each record
is built up of individual fields, separated by a comma. The record length must not
exceed 72 characters.
All data are written in ASCII code. Since the comma ("," =ASCH(44)) is used as
a field separator, all data can be presented in free-field format without the necessity of
keeping leading zeros or spaces, as signed integers or decimal fractions, with the stop
("." =ASCII(46)) used as the decimal point. So-called scientific notation (E-notation)
is not permitted. If any field in the format of a record (given below) is not applicable
or data are not available for it, it has to be indicated as an empty field by its final
comma following directly the preceding one. However, all commas directly preceding
the end-of-record should be suppressed. Thus, if in data record 2 only the 4th and the
6th item is available, that record should be written as:
2„„item 4„item 6'CR'
To provide a maximum of flexibility for each installation to record additional data of
its own choice, the number of records per data group may vary. Each data group starts
with a header record of the following form:
HEADER RECORD: % Station^ Date,Time,Comments
where "Station" is the name of the site, of which only the first four letters are
mandatory (full length is permitted), Date specifies the day of the measurement in
the form dd-mm-yy (here leading zeros must be written), and Time the moment of
recording in the form hh.min. The time of recording is the time at the e n d of the hour
in which measurements were taken, or the instant of recording if no averaging is used.
(Time always refers to the true zone time, not to legal or daylight saving time). In
the case of hourly data recording, the space allocated for comments may be used to
record the times of switching events ( e.g. switching from load to battery or switching
in parallel inverters) in a code devised by the installation manager. Other comments
may be included at the discretion of the installation manager. Thus two examples of
headers are:
% NICE% 03-05-84,15.33
% FOTA% 25-03-85,13.15,EXTENDED RUN
The header record is followed by up to 9 data records, distinguished by their record
number, which is the first item of each record. The symbols used are those given in Table
I. Data record 1 contains the meteorological data and those of the PV field - including
the battery storage - while data record 2 shows the currents, voltages and powers at the
consumer level; data records 3 to 9 are at the free disposal of the installations (or may
be absent). The data in records 3 to 9 is considered proprietary information.
DATA RECORD .1: l,GTlTam,VA,IA, IcJsiJso, Vs
DATA RECORD 2: 2, ILtDC, ///, Pio, PL^C, PFU, PTU, PBUAC, huj>c
 ANNEX D
COVER S HEET FOR MONITORING DATA
(to be submitted to JRC with each set of data) .
CEC PROJECT NUMBER: SE..../..../.., SDI KETTE REF:
REPORTING PERIOD: to

1 Name of Plant:.
2 Readings of back-up counters:
start date end date cumulative • energy for period
\J T •••••••••■ •••••••••• •••••••••• ••••••••••••••*

EL
ETU ..........
EFU

3 Information on system operations during reporting period:

3.1 SOLAR ARRAY (Cleaning, changed tilt, rep laced modules, ...)

3.2 SYSTEM COMPONENTS (Faults in controls, inverters, batteries, ...)

3.3 UNUSUAL WEATHER. (Lightning^Jnow, hail, floods, ...)

'"""-*.-:IC« £""■***■>";-

3.4 UNUSUAL LOADS (System'ho^in^use,extra use, ...)

3.5 MONITORINGS S YS TEM (Re-ca)ibrations, down-times, ...)

3.6 OTHER S PECIAL E V E N T S 7 ] C 6 M M E N T S ON DATA

4 Data Format: □ as specified in this document, Annex C
□ as given below

Contact for further information:

Name:
Address:

Tel: Fax: .........

Completed by: .'. . Date:

 ANNEX E

S U M M A R Y DATA SHEET FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATIONS

(to be submitted to JRC xvith the first se t of Monitoring Data)

CEC PROJECT NUMBER: SE..../..../....

1. Name of Plant:
(Latitude: Longitude: )
Nearest T own/City: Distance from Plant: km
Nearest Meteo Station: Distance from Plant: km
(Refer to Europe an Solar Radiation Atlas (1984) ISBN S-88585-194-6)
2. Nominal PV array rating*: kWp; Nominal module rating: ....Wp
Module Manufacturer and T ype:
Total Area of Array: m2
3. Battery Bank: Nominal capacity*: Ah (10 hr) Nominal Voltage ....V
Battery Manufacturer and T ype:
4. Inverter Nominal Rating*: kVA Number of units installed:...
Inverter Voltages: Input V; Output V
Inverter Make and T ype:
5. DC/DC Converter Nominal Rating*: kW Number of units installed:
DC/DC Converter Voltages: Input V; Output V
DC/DC Converter Make and T ype:
6. Schematic System Diagram (ple ase attach diagram)

DESIGN ASSUMPT IONS / INFORMAT ION

1. Number of days autonomy used for battery sizing: days
Max. battery discharge depth: % Max. battery cycles:
2. Please attach tables of monthly mean data for each month:
(a) Irradiation in the array plane (kWh/rri* • day) and array tilt angle
(b) Ambient temperature (°C)
(c) Array energy output (kWh/day)
(d) Energy to load (kWh/day)
(e) Battery losses (kWh/day)
(f) Power conditioning / control losses (kWh/day)
(g) Energy used by monitoring system {kwh/day)

Contact for further information:

Name:
Address:

Tel: Fax: ■.

Completed by: Date:

* Please comple te se parate she e ts for e ach type/size use d
 ANNEX F

Record Sheet for Global PV Plant Monitoring

Name of plant: Location:

Irradiation, and/or optionally Array Output Energy to Loads Energy to Energy from Energy from Time of
Array Plane Pot.Array Energy Energy Utility Grid Utility Grid BU-Generator Nonavailability
Date Time HI EP EA EL ETU EFU EBU tNAV
(Wh/m2) (kWh) (kWh) (kWh) (kWh) (kWh) (kWh) (h)
 HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE JRC?

Potential customers and collaborators from all fields of science and

technology are invited, without obligation, to discuss their research
and service requirements with our experienced personnel.
The JRC already provides contract research services to third parties
(i.e. governmental agencies, industry, public authorities etc..)

To find out what we can do for you, don't hesitate

to contact

JOINT
RESEARCH
CENTRE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics
Tel.: +39 - 332 - 789947 / +39 - 332 - 789942
Telefax: +39 - 332 - 789923
Telex: 380042 EUR I