Classification of Electric Faults in Photovoltaic Systems Based on Voltage-Power Curves

This article presents the development of an algorithm capable of detecting and classifying electric faults in photovoltaic array systems by measuring the voltage-power curve. The algorithm was build based on a characterization method in which multiple photovoltaic arrays were evaluated under different fault conditions, by measuring and analyzing the voltage-power curves at the output of each array. The algorithm was evaluated experimentally in a controlled environment inside a laboratory under 59 different fault conditions obtaining an effectiveness of 100%. Then, the algorithm was evaluated experimentally outdoors under 124 different fault conditions, temperature and solar radiations, and was able to detect and classify electric faults in different photovoltaic arrays with an effectiveness of 94.4%. The proposed algorithm can be implemented with standard power-inverters as a low-cost solution and users can receive information on up-to date performance of their photovoltaic array systems through a mobile App. The design of a mobile app for the algorithm is proposed as well.