Renewable energy consultancy GL Garrad Hassan has introduced a new set of advanced tools designed for the identification of underperformance at PV plants, in order for operators to control and reduce production losses.
The new tools include the PV Plant Simulation Tool, which the company says allows for the precise simulation of energy production based on a two-diode model and provides an estimation of shading losses on a module's bypass diode level.
The Performance Control Tool can detect both temporary failures and long-term degradation, as well as check failure patterns in the morning/afternoon and seasonal production. The Inverter Control Tool provides measurement of inverter efficiency under operational conditions and also gives an analysis of DC voltage and DC power characteristics.
The tools are suitable for both PV and concentrating solar power projects, the company says.
