Comparative Review of High Resolution Monitoring Versus Standard Inverter Data Acquisition for a Single Photovoltaic Power Plant

Investing in data monitoring equipment will help ensure that the PV array is operating as expected. Monitoring systems can be designed to limit extensive downtime that would result in lost revenue. New, higher resolution systems can also be used to quantify performance using detailed characterization techniques. The Pordis 140A system can extract current and voltage (I-V) while the PV system remains connected to the grid. However,the added visibility for plant owners, investors, and operators is currently not well understood. Therefore, the present work provides an overview of the I-V tracing system in comparison to a typical, inverter data acquisition system for two systems located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The review includes a description of basic energy yield calculations, degradation analysis, and abnormal behavior diagnostics.