Measuring 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 […]

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Methods for detecting PID

In my last post, I mentioned the PID effect, which significantly decreases photovoltaic arrays’ performance. Now, I want to show how PID can be diagnosed using a few different analysis methods. As discussed in my last post on this topic, outdoor electroluminescence analysis is the best way to detect the PID effect. This method lets […]

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Potential-induced degradation (PID) of photovoltaic panels

Potential induced degradation affects many solar power arrays by reducing panel performance more and more over time. Although some types of PID are reversible, others are not, and those are therefore a permanent problem for the affected modules. This article describes the causes of PID, how to detect it, and how to prevent it. All […]

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