Recently, questions have been increasing as to why an arc is suddenly drawn when the DC plug is disconnected from the inverter when the inverter is switched off. Since this has already happened to me and we found the reason for it quite quickly, I would like to report about it here in the blog.
Read articleIhre Suche ergab 0 Treffer.
Identifying the backsheets of solar modules in the field
If you read this blog regularly, you have already noticed: The solar industry is currently struggling with a major serial defect involving backsheet failure. For every operator of a photovoltaic system, this immediately raises the following question: Which backsheets have been installed for my own system? This question can now be answered, and how this […]
Read articleElectroluminescence tests to ensure the quality of photovoltaic systems
It has already been 8 years since I first reported here in a blog about field tests with electroluminescence, also known as outdoor electroluminescence. A lot has happened in the meantime, such tests now having established themselves as a standard method of fault analysis on photovoltaic modules. That’s reason enough to give another updated overview […]
Read articleCreeping losses in the output of photovoltaic installations
This article describes a typical fault in solar modules which results in a creeping reduction in power output, without the operator noticing this immediately. The phenomenon was already described previously in this blog article. Because it occurs relatively frequently, I would like to explain it again in more detail here.
Read articlePhotovoltaics as a cause of fire
This topic had already drifted through the press some years ago and prompted me at that time, in 2010, to write this blog article. Back then, the topic could still be dismissed as “fake news” due to a lack hitherto of properly documented cases in which photovoltaic facilities could be uniquely identified as fire sources. […]
Read articleFinding shorted bypass diodes in photovoltaic systems
The search for defective bypass diodes has been a frequently discussed blog topic here. Just when I thought I had already described typical thermograms and electro-luminescence recordings in detail, fellow drone pilot Thomas Reusch notified me of a case which we then jointly pondered. A small experiment in the garden behind our office made it possible to […]
Read articlepvTraining
Systematic fault-finding of photovoltaic systems has been the focus of our work for some time. Having given seminars on this subject for several years at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie (DGS), we are now pleased to offer two seminars nearer to home at the Sonnenwerk in Bischofsheim near Rüsselsheim. Companies can also book a seminar exclusively for […]
Read articleArcing and other causes of fires in photovoltaic systems
One type of fault that we have encountered quite often recently is that of open cell connectors on single solar modules in a module string. I have already described this issue in the article on the causes of reduced open-circuit voltage in solar generators, but I have now decided to revisit the topic in more […]
Read articlePeeling of front contacts on solar cells
I have already talked in this blog about a whole range of faults that can occur with photovoltaic systems in the hope of helping you identify and eliminate these easily and quickly. The last PV module problem I’d like to look at in detail is the “peeling front contact” problem. It think it’s important enough […]
Read articleMeasuring the dark IV curves of photovoltaic systems
During the last quarter, we began including dark IV measurements in our testing procedure for photovoltaic systems using pvCheck. We can do this because our pvServe power supply recently gained this new measurement function, which we will be including as a standard feature from 2017. The front panel of the pvServe will have a slot […]
Read article
