Concept Design
Residential Project
PV SYSTEM INFO
Production: 7.050 kWh
Consumption: 6.750 kWh
Access: 78%
Offset: 104%
Size: 8.1 kW
November 6, 2020
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16 Anomalies
2,853 Modules Affected
391.4 kW
6.71% Affected
$17,450 Lost
if Anomalies Unresolved
The owner’s 6 MW solar PV system was recently inspected as part of an annual preventative maintenance inspection using Raptor Maps turnkey services. A pilot was deployed within one week of the inspection request. The Raptor Standard level inspection took three hours of on-site piloting and provided the O&M team with sub-modular anomaly details through thermal and visual spectrum imagery. Raptor Standard level inspections can show anomalies from the inverter level down to the cell level. The inspection uncovered 490 system anomalies, categorized into 16 anomaly types, and amounting to 2,853 affected modules.
The owner’s 6 MW solar PV system was recently inspected as part of an annual preventative maintenance inspection using Raptor Maps turnkey services. A pilot was deployed within one week of the inspection request. The Raptor Standard level inspection took three hours of on-site piloting and provided the O&M team with sub-modular anomaly details through thermal and visual spectrum imagery. Raptor Standard level inspections can show anomalies from the inverter level down to the cell level. The inspection uncovered 490 system anomalies, categorized into 16 anomaly types, and amounting to 2,853 affected modules.
Some anomalies to note were instances of tree line shading, which affected over 2,200 modules, and combiner issues, affecting 324 modules. In addition, there were 3 strings and 68 individual diode faults discovered.
The owner’s O&M subcontractor used the deliverables to identify the most impactful and easily remediated anomalies within the site. The deliverables enabled them to set up a plan to resolve all non-shading related anomalies within two weeks of the site inspection. The team started with the malfunctioning combiners to resume the 1.78% of lost production. The O&M team was already aware of the shading issues impacting the site, however, the shading impact had never been quantified. The O&M team used this new data to create a plan to resolve the onsite issues causing the shading and performance loss.
This findings table has been filtered to show high priority issues only.
The case study above was published by Raptor Maps, Inc and its purpose is to aggregate findings to provide a benchmark for PV system status to improve and strengthen the PV industry. This report draws from the Raptor Maps data repository and includes an overview of aerial thermography findings and the relative impact on PV systems.
PV SYSTEM INFO
Production: 7.050 kWh
Consumption: 6.750 kWh
Access: 78%
Offset: 104%
Size: 8.1 kW
PV SYSTEM INFO
Production: 103.839 kWh
Consumption: 327.425 kWh
Access: 97%
Offset: 32%
Size: 82,5 kW
Hot spots and activated bypass diodes are indicators of potential module failures. If the modules are within warranty, you can use evidence of these types of failures to support a warranty claim. Simply Drones assists you to identify these issues, as well as provides the documentation necessary for a claim.