A Novel Strategy for Monitoring a PV Junction Box Based on LoRa in a 3 kW Residential PV System

Kim, Min‐Soo; Kim, Do-Hyun; Kim, Sang-Yong; Prabakar, Kandasamy

doi:10.3390/electronics11050709

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Failure of the J-box may result in zero output of electricity, as was found by Bakir [150] in a recent assessment of a 23 MW PV plant mounted in Turkey. As of the writing of this paper, many studies, e.g., [151,152], have come up with novel techniques to monitor and protect J-boxes from failures. Most J-box failures allow for the ingress of water vapor, causing serious safety issues, such as initiating an electrical arc or causing hotspots [15].…”

Section: Junction Box and Bypass Diodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Photovoltaic Module Failure and Degradation Mechanisms: Causes and Detection Techniques

Al Mahdi,

Leahy,

Alghoul

et al. 2024

Solar

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With the global increase in the deployment of photovoltaic (PV) modules in recent years, the need to explore and understand their reported failure mechanisms has become crucial. Despite PV modules being considered reliable devices, failures and extreme degradations often occur. Some degradations and failures within the normal range may be minor and not cause significant harm. Others may initially be mild but can rapidly deteriorate, leading to catastrophic accidents, particularly in harsh environments. This paper conducts a state-of-the-art literature review to examine PV failures, their types, and their root causes based on the components of PV modules (from protective glass to junction box). It outlines the hazardous consequences arising from PV module failures and describes the potential damage they can bring to the PV system. The literature reveals that each component is susceptible to specific types of failure, with some components deteriorating on their own and others impacting additional PV components, leading to more severe failures. Finally, this review briefly summarises PV failure detection techniques, emphasising the significance of electrical characterisation techniques and underlining the importance of considering more electrical parameters. Most importantly, this review identifies the most prevalent degradation processes, laying the foundation for further investigation by the PV research community through modelling and experimental studies. This allows for early detection by comparing PV performance when failures or degradation occur to prevent serious progression. It is worth noting that most of the studies included in this review primarily focus on detailing failures and degradation observed in PV operations, which can be attributed to various factors, including the manufacturing process and other external influences. Hence, they provide explanations of these failure mechanisms and causes but do not extensively explore corrective actions or propose solutions based on either laboratory experiments or real-world experience. Although, within this field of study, there are corresponding studies that have designed experiments to suggest preventive measures and potential solutions, an in-depth review of those studies is beyond the scope of this paper. However, this paper, in turn, serves as a valuable resource for scholars by confining PV failures to critically evaluate available studies for preventative measures and corrective actions.

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Section: Junction Box and Bypass Diodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Photovoltaic Module Failure and Degradation Mechanisms: Causes and Detection Techniques

Al Mahdi,

Leahy,

Alghoul

et al. 2024

Solar

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show abstract

“…As of this, many studies e.g. [148,149] came up with novel techniques to monitor and protect J-boxes from failures. Most J-box failures allow water vapour to ingress, causing serious safety issues, initiating an electrical arc or causing hotspots [20].…”

Section: Junction Box and Bypass Diodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Photovoltaic Failure and Degradation Mechanisms

Al Mahdi,

Leahy,

Alghoul

et al. 2023

Preprint

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With the global increase of photovoltaic (PV) modules deployment in recent years, the need to explore and realize their reported failure mechanisms has become crucial. Despite PV modules being considered reliable devices, failures and extreme degradations often occur. Some degradations and failures can be minor and cause no critical harm if within the expected range. Others, may start mildly and then deteriorate faster to become catastrophic, especially in harsh environments. This paper conducts a state-of-the-art literature review to scan PV failures, types, and their root cause based on PV’s constructed components (from protective glass to junction-box). It outlines the hazardous consequences beyond PV module failures, describing what harm they can bring to the PV system. As we delve into the literature, it becomes clear that every component is vulnerable to certain types of failures; some can deteriorate within themselves, and others infect further PV components resulting in emerging more severe failures. In the end, the review briefly summarises PV failure detection techniques, emphasising electrical characterization techniques, and disclosing the need to engage more electrical parameters. Most importantly, this review can prepare the stage for the PV research community to identify the most prevalent degradation processes. This, in turn, encourages researchers to investigate them throughout modelling and experimental studies to forecast them at the early onset in order to protect the PV systems from hazardous malfunctions.

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“…In documented module failures, the junction box is a fairly common problem [47]. The main failure modes of junction boxes include disconnection (from the back of the module), poorly sealed or closed boxes, corrosion, and arcing due to poor or damaged wiring [48].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Environmental Conditions on the Electrical Parameters of Side Connectors in Glass–Glass Photovoltaic Modules

Barbusiński,

Kwaśnicki,

Gronba-Chyła

et al. 2024

Energies

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This work focused on the verification of the electrical parameters and the durability of side connectors installed in glass–glass photovoltaic modules. Ensuring the safe use of photovoltaic modules is achieved, among others, by using electrical connectors connecting the PV cell circuit inside the laminate with an external electric cable. In most of the cases for standard PV modules, the electrical connector in the form of a junction box is attached from the back side of the PV module. The junction box is glued to the module surface with silicone where the busbars were previously brought out of the laminate through specially prepared holes. An alternative method is to place connectors on the edge of the module, laminating part of it. In such a case, the specially prepared “wings” of the connector are tightly and permanently connected using laminating foil, between two glass panes protecting against an electrical breakdown. Additionally, this approach eliminates the process of preparing holes on the back side of the module, which is especially complicated and time-consuming in the case of glass–glass modules. Moreover, side connectors are desirable in BIPV applications because they allow for a more flexible design of installations on façades and walls of buildings. A series of samples were prepared in the form of PV G-G modules with side connectors, which were then subjected to testing the connectors for the influence of environmental conditions. All samples were characterized before and after the effect of environmental conditions according to PN-EN-61215-2 standards. Insulation resistance tests were performed in dry and wet conditions, ensuring full contact of the tested sample with water. For all modules, before being placed in the climatic chamber, the resistance values were far above the minimum value required by the standards, allowing the module to be safely used. For the dry tests, the resistance values were in the range of GΩ, while for the wet tests, the obtained values were in the range of MΩ. In further work, the modules were subjected to environmental influences in accordance with MQT-11, MQT-12, and MQT-13 and then subjected to electrical measurements again. A simulation of the impact of changing climatic conditions on the module test showed that the insulation resistance value is reduced by an order of magnitude for both the dry and wet tests. Additionally, one can observe visual changes where the lamination foil is in contact with the connector. The measurements carried out in this work show the potential of side connectors and their advantage over rear junction boxes, but also the technological challenges that need to be overcome.

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A Novel Strategy for Monitoring a PV Junction Box Based on LoRa in a 3 kW Residential PV System

Cited by 7 publications

References 34 publications

A Review of Photovoltaic Module Failure and Degradation Mechanisms: Causes and Detection Techniques

A Review of Photovoltaic Module Failure and Degradation Mechanisms: Causes and Detection Techniques

A Review of Photovoltaic Failure and Degradation Mechanisms

Influence of Environmental Conditions on the Electrical Parameters of Side Connectors in Glass–Glass Photovoltaic Modules

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