Solar PV Inverter Retrofitting: Enhancing Reliability Through Predictive Maintenance

In the realm of large-scale PV installations, inverters consistently stand out as the predominant factor contributing to corrective maintenance and downtime. This paper underscores the pivotal role of enhancing inverter reliability in advancing the affordability of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and ensuring the overall reliability of PV power plants. The study introduces a novel approach to bolster inverter reliability by retrofitting PV inverters with additional sensors. These sensors monitor component-level signals, providing valuable data for predictive maintenance. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the sensor types, installation methods, data retrieval processes, and analytics. Additionally, a demonstration project is presented, showcasing the implementation of this method in obtaining predictive signals from both field-installed inverters and lab-tested inverters.