title-solar

Exclusive Articles

Soiling loss monitoring at maximum power point

Published in: Solar, Digital Blog

Soiling loss monitoring at maximum power point image

Optimizing PV Output with Advanced Soiling Loss Monitoring

Accurate monitoring of soiling losses is vital to maximizing energy production in solar PV systems. EKO Instruments introduces PV-MON, an advanced solution for real-time soiling loss assessment directly at the Maximum Power Point (MPP), delivering more precise, actionable data than traditional short-circuit current methods.

Why Soiling Monitoring at MPP Matters Conventional methods using Isc often overlook non-uniform soiling and real operational losses. EKO’s MPP-based approach offers:

  • Accurate assessment of performance degradation due to dirt and debris.
  • Detection of non-uniform soiling patterns impacting string-level energy output.
  • Insights aligned with IEC 61724-1 performance monitoring standards.

Innovative Monitoring Solutions with PV-MON The PV-MON system ensures performance optimization through:

  • Transparent, real-time power measurements (1500V/30A) at string level.
  • Integration of clean reference modules/cells to benchmark soiling impact.
  • High-precision Pt-100 temperature sensors for accurate loss correction.

Designed for Precision and Integration PV-MON's modular and scalable design integrates seamlessly into new or existing systems. Highlights include:

  • Universal Modbus RTU interface for DAQ or SCADA systems.
  • Support for multiple pyranometers and reference cells.
  • Onboard data processing and flexible setup via configuration tools.

Addressing Real-World Soiling Complexity EKO tackles the challenge of spatially variable soiling with a method that:

  • Measures actual MPP output loss rather than relying on isolated Isc values.
  • Accounts for dynamic soiling behavior affected by weather and time-of-day.
  • Avoids overestimations and supports smarter, data-driven maintenance.

The Future of Solar Monitoring Launching in Q4 2024, PV-MON sets a new standard in maintenance-free solar monitoring. Future enhancements will integrate irradiance analysis, reinforcing EKO’s role as a leading one-stop solution provider for solar performance measurement.

Read the full article here: https://pes.eu.com/exclusive-article/soiling-loss-monitoring-at-maximum-power-point/

More from across PES