What is PV system monitoring?

With PV system monitoring, agencies are able to identify and address challenges related to performance in real time. This report offers recommendations for improving performance of federal PV systems through operations and maintenance. PV system monitoring platforms may be offered by: Independent third-party software platforms.

What can a PV Monitoring Platform do?

Calculations and analysis —Data interpretation based on comparison with neighboring systems or by comparison with a computer model based on PV system description and environmental conditions (e.g., System Advisor Model [SAM]). Reports of key performance indicators —Monitoring platforms can provide reports of availability and performance ratio.

What are the environmental conditions of a PV Monitoring Platform?

Environmental conditions include: PV module temperature. A PV monitoring platform integrates satellite data with solar resource data into a production estimate from a computer model (e.g., SAM), which is compared to measured data from a PV system production meter.

Why does a PV plant need a monitoring system?

Advanced operation of a PV plant such as modulating output or power factor can confound the drawing of conclusions from monitored data. A monitoring system should account for clipping of output due to high DC-to-AC ratio, interconnect limits, and called-for curtailment or any other reason.

Why should you track energy availability in a PV operation contract?

Tracking this availability (or unavailability) provides transparency into the equipment reliability state to all parties involved in an O&M services contract. In most PV operation contracts, energy will be the driving factor of whether the system is operating as expected.

How does the sense solar energy monitor work?

The Sense monitoring system also records excess power sent to the grid from your solar panels, so that over time you can get an accurate record of renewable energy production, consumption, and grid export. For folks without a monitoring setup, adding the Sense Solar energy monitor is relatively easy.