Solar Panel Thermography

Thermography is a vital tool for identifying hotspots in solar panels. Overheated cells not only damage the casing material but can also lead to delamination. Shading on a module or a defective cell can shift the module from power production to power consumption, generating heat and resulting in hotspots visible in thermal images. Similarly, a defective or mismatched bypass diode can produce the same effect.
Hotspots in solar panels create two significant issues:
- Reduced Power Production: Cells that consume power instead of producing it decrease the overall energy yield.
- Thermal Impact on Neighboring Cells: Power consumption causes excessive heating, further affecting the performance of adjacent cells.
