An Optimal Preventive Maintenance Policy for a Solar Photovoltaic System

Abstract

In this paper, we develop a preventive maintenance (PM) strategy for a solar photovoltaic system composed of solar panels functioning as a series system. The photovoltaic system is considered in a failed state whenever its efficiency drops below a predefined threshold or any electrical wiring element is damaged. In such a situation of failure, a minimal repair is performed. The proposed PM strategy suggests systematically replacing n panels with their respective wiring system every time units T over a finite operating time span H. The panels to be preventively replaced are selected by the maintenance agent after an on-site overall assessment of all panels, making sure every time not to replace panels previously replaced during a given replacement cycle of all panels of the system. An analytical model is proposed in order to simultaneously determine the optimal PM period, T, and the optimal number of solar panels, n, to be replaced at each PM. This is done by modeling and minimizing the expected total maintenance cost over the finite operating time horizon H. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the use of the proposed modelling approach and to discuss the obtained results. The latter provide the optimal solutions (T*, n*) for different combinations of input parameters. They also show the economic relevance of the proposed PM strategy through estimation of the economic gain when comparing the situations with and without preventive maintenance.

An IoT-Based Services Infrastructure for Utility-Scale Distributed Solar Farms

“…Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Management processes play a key role in ensuring the continuous and reliable operation of the solar farm as well as the data transmission and processing infrastructure. O&M use a mix of real-time data and data diagnostics in order to identify system anomalies and recommend the most appropriate course of action, for both preventative as well as reactive maintenance [50].…”

“…Energies 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 20 order to identify system anomalies and recommend the most appropriate course of action, for both preventative as well as reactive maintenance [50]. By implementing the backend as a modular microservice-based system, it is possible to update, modify, add, or remove any of the workers without causing any obstructions to the system as long as workers abide by communication standards and format.…”

Review of Operation and Maintenance Methodologies for Solar Photovoltaic Microgrids

“…Routine upkeep actions are carried out according to and with careful study of manufacturer's recommendation regardless of the actual performance and condition of the asset (Van Horenbeek et al, 2013). A critical aspect that needs careful attention with this strategy is the ideal length and time for maintenance intervals and the actions that may be performed at variable, systematic, or based on the condition of the system (Alam et al, 2015;Baklouti et al, 2020). Systematic preventive maintenance is characterized by replacing aging or unfit components according to a predetermined interval.…”

A Review of I–V Tracers for Photovoltaic Modules: Topologies and Challenges

“…However, PV modules suffer degradation caused by aging, wear and tear, as well as their outdoor exposure [4], which causes their power to decrease, affecting the overall efficiency of the PV installation [5]. Therefore, preventive maintenance is required to know the current status of each module [6], and predictive maintenance to achieve comprehensive management [7]. In this way, the I-V tracer is a device that allows the extraction of parameters from the PV module to know exactly its current state [8].…”