Hotspot technologies in solar power research

Are hotspots a problem in PV modules?

In this context, the challenge of hotspot mitigation within PV modules has emerged as a critical area of research and development. This paper presented a novel electronic circuit designed to address the pervasive issue of hotspots in PV modules, which are known to precipitate efficiency losses and potentially hazardous operating conditions.

What causes hotspots in solar cells?

The genesis of hotspots is often linked to physical defects, such as micro-cracks within the solar cells, as documented in the literature , , . Such defects intrinsically hinder thermal uniformity because they can create localized areas of increased resistance, which the mitigation circuit cannot physically rectify.

What are hotspots & why are they important?

Among the most critical of these inefficiencies are the thermal anomalies known as hotspots. These hotspots represent zones of elevated temperature localized within specific areas of a PV module, which can cause substantial increases in the temperature of solar cells, consequently impacting the module's overall performance.

How do hotspots reduce thermal stress?

Within a span of 4 min, the hotspots cooled down, settling into a temperature bracket of 25 to 35 °C, effectively reducing the thermal stress on the affected cells and aligning their temperatures closer to those of the unimpacted areas of the module. Table 2 summarizes the temperature variations of the strings over the duration of the experiment.

How to detect a hot spot in a PV system?

A hot spot in a PV (Photovoltaic) system can be detected using a FLIR i5 thermal imaging camera. The output power performance of the affected PV module is evaluated using its P-V curve before and after the activation of the proposed hot spot mitigation technique.

What happens if a PV solar cell is affected by a hot spot?

When a PV solar cell is affected by a hot spot, its temperature is reduced due to the application of a hot spot mitigation technique. The difference between the hot spot temperature and the reference solar cell temperature (78.7°F) is shown in Table 3.