Virtual Reliability Software for Real Time Detection of Failures at PV Plants

Performance, and Manufacturing This project will commercialize a software-based failure detection technology developed as research that has been proven to remotely and continuously detect string and tracker faults in photovoltaic power plants using existing plant instrumentation. Failures detected by this approach are currently only detectable through manual inspection or periodic aerial imaging. The proposed innovation will enable more productive, cost-effective, and optimized operations and maintenance of photovoltaic installations ľ this aligns with broader goals of improving reliability and affordability of solar electricity. It can rapidly alert users to potential failures, enabling quick maintenance and ľ as a results ľ better power production over the long term. This leads to a more stable electric grid. Specific objectives include: Ľ Improve detection of photovoltaic power plant failures. Ľ Reduce maintenance costs through more efficient repair scheduling, reduced manual inspection requirements, and reduced or eliminated need for aerial imaging. Ľ Improve productivity of maintenance staff through automated failure detection, localization, and alarming. Additional benefits include: Ľ Impact to Federal Government ľ Reduction in maintenance costs and increased production will help achieve the DOE SETO LCOE targets for utility-scale PV to $0.03/kWh by 2030. Improved reliability of PV will also enable accelerated penetration into the national electric grid helping to achieve the U.S. NDC for COP26 goal of 100 percent pollution-free electricity by 2035. Ľ Societal Benefits ľ Lowering the cost of PV while increasing energy production is a critical path to achieving decarbonization. This will also reduce the reliance on natural gas-fired assets leading to a reduction in other emissions such as NOx and CO. This provides a direct benefit to disadvantaged communities who are at highest risk of CO2 and emissions-related health impacts from non-renewable energy sources. This outcome also aligns with the Justice 40 initiative goals through Ĺreduction of energy burdenĺ, Ĺdeployment of clean energyĺ, and Ĺreduction of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollutantsĺ. This Phase I project will focus on transitioning the research code to a Minimum Viable Product that can execute on PV operatorsĺ infrastructure to detect power plant failures in near real time. A stakeholder group of PV operators and owners will test the software in a real-world application and provide feedback on technical and financial viability. Phase II will convert this to fully featured commercial software available to all photovoltaic power plant owners and operators.