Advancements in Photovoltaic Panel Fault Detection Techniques

Abstract

This paper examines the progression and advancements in fault detection techniques for photovoltaic (PV) panels, a target for optimizing the efficiency and longevity of solar energy systems. As the adoption of PV technology grows, the need for effective fault detection strategies becomes increasingly paramount to maximize energy output and minimize operational downtimes of solar power systems. These approaches include the use of machine learning and deep learning methodologies to be able to detect the identified faults in PV technology. Here, we delve into how machine learning models, specifically kernel-based extreme learning machines and support vector machines, trained on current-voltage characteristic (I-V curve) data, provide information on fault identification. We explore deep learning approaches by taking models like EfficientNet-B0, which looks at infrared images of solar panels to detect subtle defects not visible to the human eye. We highlight the utilization of advanced image processing techniques and algorithms to exploit aerial imagery data, from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), for inspecting large solar installations. Some other techniques like DeepLabV3+, Feature Pyramid Networks (FPN), and U-Net will be detailed as such tools enable effective segmentation and anomaly detection in aerial panel images. Finally, we discuss implications of these technologies on labor costs, fault detection precision, and sustainability of PV installations.