Experimental Methods to Replicate Power Loss of PV Modules in the Field for the Purpose of Fault Detection Algorithm Development

As the photovoltaics industry matures the methods for monitoring and responding to power loss events is also maturing. For researchers to develop advanced algorithms to detect and notify plant owners of actual failures, and potential failures, reliable methods need to be developed to emulate field failures. This work discusses the development and characterization of three reliable methods for replicating power loss events in modules, and strings for outdoor field testing. Experimental methods were developed to emulate soiling, within module interconnection failures, and cell cracks. The objective of the work is to develop well characterized methods for inducing power loss such that data sets can be generated that can be used to develop advanced algorithms for power loss detection, root cause analysis, and prognostic notifications.