This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020

research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 792059

Oct. 29th
PV Performance Analysis
(10:30-12:30)
 PV system design & performance

PV performance analysis
1. What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

2. What KPI to compare PV Performances

3. Factors and faults that mainly affect the PV Performance

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance

1. What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

SCOPE
• Assess the PV system performance trends
• Due Diligence or comparison of performances with project expectations and
guarantees
• Comparison of PV systems in different climate regions or/and with different
configurations
• Detection of potential faults in the PV system

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Plan Of Array Irradiation, Gi

PV Array Inverter Grid

PAC
...

• Basic assessment of the PV system performance trends

• No punctual detection of fault
• No accurate performance comparison among PV systems or with project
expectations and guarantees
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Irradiation: Gi (POA)

Tmod Inverter Grid

PV Array
IDC IAC
...
VDC VAC
PDC PAC

• Better assessment of the PV system and other components performance trends

• Possible detection of fault
• No accurate performance comparison among PV systems or with project
expectations and guarantees
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Irradiation: Gi (POA), GHI

Tmod, Tamb, Wind PV Array Inverter Grid

IDC String Riso
IAC Grid
... VDC String
PDC Tcabinet VAC
TcontrolBoard PAC
Soiling, Rain Q,P,cosɸ

• Assess the PV system performance trends

• Punctual detection of fault
• Detailed performance analysis of PV system and component
• Accurate performance comparison among PV systems or with project expectations and guarantees
If the monitoring system is classified as «high accuracy» GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Depending on the scope, parameters are important, but so is also the accuracy
The IEC 61724 classifies 3 class of accuracy and suggests the proper applications

Table 1 – Monitoring system classifications and suggested applications

Source: IEC 61724-1:2017

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Parameters Purpose Class A Class B Class C

Solar resource X (required only
Irradiation (POA and GHI) x x
GHI ->Connection to historical and satellite Data POA)

PV module Temperature Determining temperature related losses X X

Connection to historical data, estimation of PV

Ambient air temperature X X X
temperatures

Wind speed X X
Estimation of PV temperatures
Wind direction X

Soiling ratio Determining soiling-related losses X

Rainfall Estimation of soiling losses X X

Array Voltage, Current, Power Energy output, diagnostics and fault localization X

X (required only
Output Voltage, Current, Power Energy output X X
Power)

Output Power factor Utility request compliance X X

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

What class of accuracy foreseen?

Sampling and recording interval requirements Sampling interval= is the time
Class A Class B Class C between samples of data
acquired from a measuring
Maximum sampling interval device
For irradiance, temperature, wind, and 3 s 1 min 1 min
electrical output Recording interval= is the time
between records of data
For soiling, rain, snow, and humidity 1 min 1 min 1 min entered into a data log for
Maximum recording interval 1 min 15 min 1 min data storage, based on
Source: IEC 61724-1:2017 acquired samples
Sampling
(Data Acquisition)

Record
(Data Storage)

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Uncertanty requirements
Sensor Class A Class B Class C
Thermopile pyranometer ≤ 3% ≤ 8% Any
≤ 3% ≤8%
PV reference device (100 W·m−2÷ 1500 W·m−2) (100 W·m−2÷ 1500 W·m−2)
Any

Inverter-level electrical measurement requirements

Input voltage (DC) ±2% n/a n/a

Input current (DC) ±2% n/a n/a

Input power (DC) ±2% n/a n/a

Output voltage (DC) ±2% ±3% n/a

Output current (DC) ±2% ±3% n/a

Output power (DC) ±2% ±3% n/a

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Solar sensor maintenance requirements

Item Class A Class B Class C

As per manufacturer’s
Recalibration Once per year Once every 2 years
requirements

Cleaning At least once per week Optional Any

Required in locations Required in locations

where condensation where condensation
Heating to prevent
accumulation of condensation
and/or frozen precipitation and/or frozen precipitation
n/a
No ventilated, Ventilated,
would affect would affect
and/or frozen precipitation
measurements on more measurements on more no heated heated
than 7 days per year than 14 days per year
Ventilation (for thermopile
Required Optional n/a
pyranometers)
Desiccant inspection
and replacement (for As per manufacturer’s As per manufacturer’s As per manufacturer’s
thermopile requirements requirements requirements
pyranometers)

Heating and ventilation required GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Temperature and wind sensor maintenance requirements

Sensor Item Class A Class B Class C

Module and Air Per manufacturer’s

Once every 2 years n/a
Temperature recommendations
Recalibration
Per manufacturer’s Per manufacturer’s Per manufacturer’s
Wind Sensor
recommendations recommendations recommendations

Note: For bifacial modules, rear-side temperature sensors and wiring shall
obscure < 10 % of the area of any cell, and wiring should be routed in
between cells when possible.

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What to know before assessing the performance of a PV system

Soiling Check

A reference PV device (soiled device), is allowed to A reference PV device, (clean device), is regularly
accumulate soiling at the same rate as the PV array. cleaned. The clean device shall have similar spectral
and angular response to the soiled device.
The soiled device should preferably be a PV module
that is identical to or representative of those used in Cleaning shall be done daily or at least twice per
the PV array to be monitored so that it will soil at the week, for Class A, or at lesser intervals if desired for
same rate. Class B and Class C.
soiled device clean device

MEASUREMENT METHOD
1. max power reduction
2. short-circuit current

For tracking systems, the soiled and clean devices shall be mounted in the module plane of the tracker.
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
Test bench for performance analysis of GOPV technologies
Prototype plant in Cadarache
To quantify the non-uniformity of the rear-side irradiance and calculate
Bifacial
an effective average of the rear-side irradiance, it is recommended to
ICC ICC place multiple sensors along the rear side of the structure to measure
the non-uniform illumination profile throughout the day.
TMOD TMOD

Accuracy
• Solar Sensor: Uncertainty ≤3%
• PV module temperature: Uncertainty ≤2°C
• Air Temperature: Uncertainty ≤ ±1°C
• PV array I, V: Uncertainty ± 2%
• Output I,V: Uncertainty ± 2%
Dummy Modules
ICC ICC ICC
ICC Rear side ref. PV cell

Front side ref. PV cell

ICC Modules for Soiling

ICC
Measurement
TMOD TMOD TMOD TMO TM
D OD PT100 sensor
TMOD
temperature
Dummy Modules
Monofacial Bifacial
Albedometer
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance,
Ricerca sul sistema energetico – RSE SpA

2. What KPI to compare PV Performances

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What KPI to compare PV Performances
Irradiation, Gi (PoA), GHI

PV Array
Inverter Grid
Tmod, Tamb, Wind
IDC String IAC
... VDC String
PDC VAC
PAC

Yf
Yr Ya Final yield
Reference yield Array yield

Lc =Yr-Ya Lbos =Yf-Ya

Array Capture loss Balance of System loss

PR GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

Performance Ratio TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What KPI to compare PV Performances
The units of measure is hours; the yield ratio indicates the equivalent amount of time during
Yields which the array would be required to operate at P0 to provide the particular energy quantity
measured during the reporting period.

represents the number of hours during which the solar radiation would need to be at reference
Yr
irradiance levels in order to contribute the same incident solar energy as was monitored during
Reference yield
the reporting period while the utility grid and/or local load were available

Ya
is the array energy output (DC) per rated kW (DC) of installed PV array
Array yield

Yf
the net energy output of the entire PV system (AC) per rated kW (DC) of installed PV array
Final yield

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance, RSE SpA
What KPI to compare PV Performances
The Performance Ratio KPI shows the
Performance Ratio KPI through the years in different PV plants overall effect of losses on the system output
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 due to both array temperature and system
P01
P02
P03
component inefficiencies or failures,
P04
P05
including balance of system components
P06
P07
P08 YF Eca GSTC
P09 PR = =
P10 YR Pn Hi
P11
P12
P13 • Hi: plane-of-array (POA) radiation
P14
P15 • GSTC: reference plane of array irradiance
MI-GFV11
MI-GFV12
MI-GFV13
1000 Wm-2
MI-GFV14
MI-GFV15
• Eca: net AC energy output of the entire
MI-GFV16
MI-GFV18 PV system
• Pn: Sum of DC power at STC of all PV
MI-GFV19
CT-GFV1
CT-GFV2
CT-GFV3
CT-GFV4
modules of the considered array
CT-GFV5
CT-GFV6
CT-GFV8
CT-GFV9

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
What KPI to compare PV Performances
To reduce the seasonal variation of the PR (due to temperature
and irradiance fluctuation) a corrected PR can be used PRstc
YF Eca GSTC PR
PRcor = =
YR Ck  Pn Hi

PR in DC allows a more specific analysis of the array string

performances and the related energy losses on the DC side

YF Ecc GSTC
PRdc = =
YR Pn Hi

Performance Ratio Bifacial PV System (IEC 61724-1, still in DRAFT FOR VOTE )

PR bi =
YF Ecc GSTC
=  i : Ratio of the irradiance incident on the rear side of the
BIF = 1 +  P max   i
YR Pn Hi  BIF modules in the PV array to the irradiance incident on the
front side of an inclined surface parallel to the plane of array
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance, RSE SpA
What KPI to compare PV Performances
Additional KPI adopted

Energy performance index.

YF EPI is calculated for the respective assessment period (typically day/month/year) using the
EPI =
YEXP actual weather data as input to the model each time it is calculated. (Honda et al. 2012).
This indicator relies on the accuracy of the expected model used to calculate the Yield
expected (YEXP)

Ei Energy-based Availability. It is the ratio of the produced energy on the sum of Produced
EA i =
Ei + Eloss(i) energy and Energy Loss due to fault and maintenance activity

The clearness index is a measure of the clearness of the atmosphere. It is the fraction of
H GHI,ave the solar radiation that is transmitted through the atmosphere to strike the surface of the
KT =
H o,ave Earth. It is a dimensionless number between 0 and 1, defined as the surface radiation
divided by the extraterrestrial radiation

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance, RSE SpA
What KPI to compare PV Performances
Test on Bifacial PV System

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance, RSE SpA
What KPI to compare PV Performances

With same range of

Kt (clear Day
condition), the
South 30°- concrete
installation have
higher PRcc
Kt <0.25 cloudy day;
0.25 <Kt <0.6 variable day;
Kt> 0.6 clear day

Cloudy Day VariableDay Clear Day

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance, RSE SpA
What KPI to compare PV Performances
PRdc comparison of Bifacial vs Monofacial system.

* The calculation of PR and PRdc uses only front side irradiation and this explains why
PRdc exceeds 100% value

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance,
Ricerca sul sistema energetico – RSE SpA

3. Factors and faults that mainly affect the PV Performance

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
Factors and faults that mainly affect the PV Performance

Received energy Array output Inverter output

Factors
Incident Angle, Shading Mismatch, MPPT Error Inverter Clipping Design

Soiling Temperature Climate Disaster Enviroment

LID, PID, LeTID Inverter Losses Degradation

Component Faults Fault

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance
Factors that mainly affect the PV Performance

Wrong inverter design and the effect on performance

Wrong inverter sizing

Solar Irradiation [W/m2]

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

PV system performance
Factors that mainly affect the PV Performance

Shading effect on performance Pac

Irradiance
Shading effect

Solar Irradiation [W/m2]

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
Main faults that affect the PV Performance
Main component faults that contribute to Energy Losses Reliability R(t) is the
ability to perform as
required, without
failure, for a given time
interval t, under given
conditions

Inverter is the main

contributor of Energy
Losses

Cable DC String Inverter

Data elaborated by RSE SpA
Source of data: S. Baschel; E. Koubli; Impact of Component Reliability on Large Scale GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
Photovoltaic Systems’ Performance; Energies 2018, 11, 1579; doi:10.3390/en11061579 TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
Main faults that affect the PV Performance
PV fault, and monitored parameters to identify Fault condition

Fire due to junction box connection problems.

Source: IEA PVPS Task 13, Subtask 1 - Analysis of Long-Term Performance of PV Systems
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 PV system performance
Main faults that affect the PV Performance
Infrared image X-ray analysis images

normal bypass diode failed bypass diode

• Temperature inside the junction box can rise 70 °C High leakage current of the bypass diode at high temperature,
on sunny summer days. melt down of the junction barrier between the metal and
• Bypass diode can operate at over 60 °C for more semiconductor
than 70 h annually.
W. G.Shin, S. W. Ko, Origin of Bypass Diode Fault in c-Si Photovoltaic Modules:
Leakage Current under High Surrounding Temperature Energies 2018, 11, 2416;
GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 RECAP

The purpose of monitoring Activity define the accuracy of the Monitoring System and the
parameter to be monitored

KPI

Calculated KPis give a more balanced view of the operation of a PV plant as they take into
account the different operating conditions for each plant. GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES
32
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 RECAP

PERFORMANCE
LOSS FACTORS

Main contributor to Energy Loss, is

the inverters. A possible way to
mitigate the impact would be to
implement predictive repairs based
on detailed condition monitoring.

GoPV Project | 1st TRAINING COURSES

33
TECHNICAL FOCUS ON FUTURE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS

October 26-29th 2020

 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 792059

Thank you for your attention!

Follow us