Inspection of photovoltaic power plants
is essential for performance optimizationlifetime extensionincreased safetyprotection of your investment.

When is an inspection needed?

Periodic checks

Periodic inspections will ensure the long-term functionality of your power plant with maximum efficiency.
You might want to check your solar panel system at least once every 12 months. This will make sure it is still operational and safe. You can combine the inspection with an annual cleaning.

After heavy weather

It is always a good idea to check the system after significant storm activity or after a large amount of rain or snow. Extremes of weather can damage your system.
That is especially true if there are strong winds or tree damage near the installation. These are the two most common weather conditions that damage solar panel systems. Even if in doubt, schedule an inspection. The sooner you find out about the damage, the better!

New installation

The initial inspection of a newly installed power plant is one of the most important. It confirms that you have the panels positioned correctly and can detect any potential problems early, before the panels are damaged. You might want to schedule the initial inspections if possible one to two weeks after the solar panels are first installed. This is the easiest way to ensure that your power plant runs smoothly.

Thermal anomaly categories

Different types of temperature deviations (anomalies) can be detected on the solar panel using an infrared camera. The categorization then determines the severity of the anomaly and then we recommend a procedure to remove it. These are the most commonly observed thermal anomalies:
String (open circuit) – higher temperature observed in one string due to disconnection
Disconnected PV panel – higher temperature observed at one PV panel due to
disconnection.
Hotspot – higher temperature is observed in one cell of the PV panel than in
adjacent cells.
Multi-hotspot – higher temperature is observed in more cells on the PV panel than in neighbouring cells.
Substring Bypass – higher temperature observed in isolated substring inside the PV panel.
Problems with one or more diodes – higher temperature observed in one or more substrings due to diode failure.
Shielding – cold spots due to shading by objects.
Obstructions near panels – panels are blocked by physical objects.