Maintenance and inspection applied to photovoltaic solar plant, a case study at UFERSA-Caraúbas

Abstract

The growing expansion of photovoltaic systems results in the need to perform maintenance routines and inspections in order to ensure that components and equipment function as expected, that is, normal productivity, operate with low risks to health, environment and safety. In this work, an analysis was carried out in the photovoltaic solar plant of UFERSA-Caraúbas, which included visual inspection and qualitative thermographic analysis, where the first one had the purpose of verifying the components and the photovoltaic arrangement itself, evidencing the factors considered abnormal; and the second, to recognize possible thermal anomalies present in the PV system and/or its components. Finally, it was possible to verify that the system in question has a considerable amount of modules with broken surface glass, in addition to the relevant presence of dirt on their surfaces. The thermographic inspection showed that the modules together with the inverters remain within the limit range determined by the manufacturers.