Mission profile-based assessment of photovoltaic system reliability for Indian climatic zones

Abstract

ABSTRACT Solar energy is expected to overtake wind energy as the leading renewable energy source by 2050, and therefore, accurate lifetime and reliability predictions for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations are necessary. The microinverter is a pivotal component of stand-alone PV power systems. The reliability of the microinverter depends on the mission profile of the geographical location, such as solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and wind velocity. This study developed a comprehensive reliability map for a 200Wp monocrystalline panel and a 250W microinverter based on mission profile data collected from 198 locations across India. A novel mathematical model is developed and validated using Ansys Icepak to evaluate the junction temperatures of microinverter components. The results show that the junction temperature significantly affects the reliability of PV system. In the hot and dry climatic zone of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, the maximum MOSFET junction temperature and Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) obtained were 63.14°C, and 27.34 years, respectively. Furthermore, in the cold and dry climatic zone of Leh, Ladakh, the junction temperature dropped to 29.74°C, increasing MOSFET’s MTBF to 49.8 years. These results prove that the reliability depends on the mission profile, and it should not be ignored in evaluating the reliability of solar PV systems.