Detection of increased series losses in PV arrays using Fuzzy Inference Systems

There are well-defined methods to measure the (increased) series resistance of PV panels in controlled laboratory conditions. However, the presence of various irradiance levels and partial shadows, in case of an outdoor installation, may affect the series resistance estimation. This paper focuses on the estimation of increased series resistance in outdoor conditions in various irradiance levels and partial shadow conditions. A diagnostic method that is able to detect an increase in series resistance based on fuzzy classifiers is presented and experimentally validated.