PV Array Monitoring via Aggregated String Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for detecting failures and performance degradation in photovoltaic arrays require significant capital investment in hardware, making it costly to monitor large commercial and utility-scale arrays effectively.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring system that reduces hardware requirements by measuring the performance of multiple PV strings, using a data processing system with a processor, memory, and a web application to analyze data, generate alerts, and compare performance thresholds, thereby detecting failures and degradation with reduced noise from environmental factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual string-level measurement hardware is deployed to detect failures and performance degradation, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and capital investment costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple PV string monitoring channels into a single aggregated measurement point. Instead of deploying separate measurement hardware for each string, the system merges the monitoring function at a higher level (inverter or array level), using a single measurement point to represent multiple strings. This reduces hardware quantity while maintaining detection capability through intelligent data processing and comparison algorithms that can identify individual string issues from aggregated data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the measurement hardware universal by designing it to monitor multiple PV strings simultaneously through a single measurement point. The measurement system is configured to capture aggregated data from multiple strings, and the data processing system universally applies analysis algorithms to detect failures and performance degradation across all monitored strings, eliminating the need for dedicated hardware per string.
2Device complexity
If measurement hardware is reduced to lower capital investment costs, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and failure detection sensitivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data processing system as an intermediary between the reduced hardware and the monitoring objectives. This intermediary layer uses intelligent algorithms, historical data comparison, and statistical analysis to compensate for the reduced hardware capability. The system processes aggregated measurements to infer individual string performance, maintaining detection sensitivity without requiring individual string measurement hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from spatial dimension (individual string-level measurements) to temporal dimension (historical data comparison and trend analysis). By analyzing performance data over time and comparing against baseline values, the system can detect failures and degradation patterns that would be difficult to identify from single-point measurements, effectively compensating for reduced hardware precision through time-based analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system and method for monitoring performance of a photovoltaic array. The system and method reduces the need for monitoring equipment by collecting measurement data associated with a plurality of photovoltaic strings. Failure and performance degradation detection is improved through the use of monitoring conditions, performance thresholds, and auto-calibration. Various user interfaces enable a user to modify or adjust the monitoring system and method, as well as monitor the performance of a photovoltaic array.