Fire accidents occur frequently, how can PV power plants be fireproof?

- Jan 02, 2019-

With the development of the photovoltaic industry, thousands of photovoltaic power plants have been quietly built on the roof. According to the experience of photovoltaic developed countries such as Europe,America,JapanandChina, potential fire risks have followed, and rooftop photovoltaic power plants frequently cause fire accident.


In addition to having a serious impact on component life, the hot spot effect may burn components or even cause a fire.


Photovoltaic power station connector burned case


The service life of photovoltaic system is theoretically 20 years to 25 years. With the increase of the operating period of photovoltaic power station, the electronic components in the inverter will be aging, cable rupture, loose contacts, etc. Internal causes of these systems may cause failure. Arcing, in general, the installation of photovoltaic arrays mostly uses long strings of high-voltage DC power supplies, indirectly increasing the safety issues associated with arcing.

Therefore, for users and manufacturers, the regular maintenance work of the power station is indispensable. First, it is necessary to check whether the photovoltaic equipment is in sick operation, overtime service or overload operation. That's why more and more solar panel installers work with experienced thermographers who provide conventional thermal imaging inspection services to ensure the safe and efficient deployment of solar systems.


Several thermal images are stitched together to display the entire photovoltaic device


This thermal image shows some defective batteries inside a solar panel. Overheated batteries impair the performance of the entire photovoltaic system.


As the temperature increases, the efficiency of the solar panel decreases, and the amount of power generation decreases. Some defects can cause them to malfunction and even generate reverse currents that can damage the entire solar installation. The thermal imager detects hot spots on the panel from a distance, which greatly simplifies defect finding and prevents defects from becoming catastrophic.

FLIR Systems' thermal imaging cameras are ideal for inspecting solar panels. The inspection method is non-destructive and non-invasive. You can use a thermal imager to check the solar panels under load, so there is no need to shut down the system. When used properly, the camera accurately displays the temperature difference between the batteries or inside the individual batteries, allowing you to detect faults early.


These solar modules are not shown to be defective because their temperatures are within the maximum normal operating temperature range in a sunny environment as specified by the solar panel manufacturer.


The camera can be used to inspect all components of a PV installation, including inverters, fuses, cables and connectors.

Thermal inspection is not limited to solar panels, but thermal imaging is also used to inspect the entire system, from solar panels to connectors, inverters, fuses and all other system components. If a part of the system starts to wear out for some reason, or the resistance increases, the temperature rise can be easily detected using a thermal imager, so you can fix the problem before the system crashes.