Analysis of voltage/current mismatch in solar photovoltaic power plants during fault panel replacement

Abstract

ABSTRACT In few years of installation, hardly any of the PV panels need replacement, rather than the whole PV array. The common damage occurs due to hotspot/aging/partial shading condition. Moreover, during the replacement schedule, customers are not provided with the same type/rated panels after some years. Since manufacturers of PV panels in order to excel in their market, they update their products each and every year which in turn leads to lesser availability of same kind of panels. There comes necessity to go for an alternate option during panels’ replacement. In this paper, panels replacement in the damaged position are discussed by classifying an alternate option into five different cases based on its type and ratings as follows: (i) Under rated same type, (ii) Over rated same type, and (iii) under-rated different type (iv) over-rated different type (v) Same rated different type. A 3*3 solar TotalCrossTied (TCT) array of 10 W polycrystalline panels are reviewed here for replacement. This paper also features the performance analysis of PV panels’ replacement for without changing position and by changing position. Comparison in all the five cases are carried out based on their maximum power achievement for various values of irradiation. Power losses, maximum power, Fill Factor in all cases are discussed to attain the better replacement. Our paper will be beneficial for the solar PV sector, since we analyzed the performance of solar PV systems when other rated/type of panels are replaced when any of the existing panel becomes faulty.