Determination of defect types and failure analysis of PV panels used in smart city applications

The rapid growth of the world's population and the increasing level of air pollution have strongly directed humanity toward renewable energy sources. Consequently, the demand for solar energy has risen sharply. Alongside the establishment of large-scale solar power plants, practical photovoltaic (PV) solutions featuring lower energy requirements and reduced maintenance and operating costs have also become integrated into our daily lives. Smart city furniture represents one such application of these PV solutions. In the case of using PV panels in smart city furniture, the panels become more exposed to atmospheric conditions and physical impacts. Therefore, PV panel health analysis, which is already important, becomes even more critical. In this study, the aging conditions of PV panels used in smart city furniture were examined, and degradation analysis was performed on panels that were used for a certain period and damaged. The analyses were carried out through EL Imaging, Thermal Camera and Electrical Parameter tests. Among these test methods, while more comprehensive data on the failure status of the panel are obtained with the Thermal Camera test, it is possible to determine the types of defects and their locations more clearly with the EL Imaging test. Within the scope of the Electrical Parameter test, I-V and P-V characteristic curves were drawn for all panel types used, and efficiency percentage reductions were calculated. It is aimed to reinforce the analyses more accurately by following a hybrid approach using three different analysis methods. As a result of this work, the effects of aging were concretely demonstrated, thereby underscoring the importance of meticulously monitoring the health of PV panels used in smart city furniture.