A review of IR thermography applied to PV systems

Infrared (IR) thermography could be an important diagnostic tool for assessing the performance of photovoltaic panels. Malfunctions, material and insulation defects can be detected easily and fast without complicated proceedings. The testing of Photovoltaic (PV) systems by infrared thermography is used by more than a decade and is becoming increasingly an important standard; this method in fact is relatively fast, simple and inexpensive. In this paper IR thermography applied to Photovoltaic (PV) systems is shortly reviewed. Infrared analysis allows a reliable evaluation of the state of health of the plant and at the same time the detection of the actions needed of the maintenance. In particular, we introduced the potentiality of IR thermography for the identification of possible differences between the strings and the rapid location of local hot spots, breakdowns or other problems.