The generation of electricity in solar photovoltaic plants is conditioned by a multitude of factors, including the state of conservation of the installation itself. For this reason, Ingenium Research Group of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) is working on the development of an intelligent monitoring system for the operation of solar plants. The UCLM research team uses data on the temperature of the panels, taken with a thermographic camera from a drone, as well as the records of the conventional monitoring systems of the plant itself, to make a real-time assessment of the performance of the plant.
This information is crucial for the optimization of photovoltaic energy production plants, where any anomalous operation of one of the panels translates into thousands of euros in losses. The key to this project lies in the ability to interpret the data collected, and it is precisely here where the researchers of the group led by Fausto Pedro García, are developing algorithms and intelligent systems capable of the information collected through the different systems. The work is carried out within the framework of the Reliable Analytics for Photo Voltaic Plants (RA4PV) research project , funded by the Ministry of Economy and the European Union, and is being carried out in collaboration with the company Ingeteam Service.
This intelligent monitoring system for solar farms provides much more precise information on the operation of the plant; the remote data is stored in the cloud and can be consulted from anywhere in the world; But above all, it saves time and money. Until now, checks on the proper functioning of the photovoltaic panels were carried out on foot. An operator walks past all the panels and points a thermal camera at them to obtain images that are then used to detect faults.
Link of the article: https://novaciencia.es/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Nova_Ciencia.180.Mayo_2022.Operacion_Balmis.Masteres_universitarios.pdf