Evaluation method for arc fault detection algorithms

Many methods have been proposed to detect arc faults within photovoltaic systems. However, because of the dearth of data surrounding arcs that actually occur in commercial or residential PV systems, a sound method is necessary to systematically check for the effectiveness of algorithms claiming the ability to detect PV arc faults. This method should include data representing actual background PV system noise and seek to quantify the limits of the detection capability for the algorithms of interest.