Reliability of photo-voltaic power plants

• Published in: Electric power systems research 2023-11, Vol.224, p.109736, Article 109736
• Main Authors: Cohen, Daniella, Elmakis, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Availability; Failure rate; Photo voltaic power system; Probability density function; Reliability; Repair rate
• ISSN: 0378-7796
• DOI: 10.1016/j.epsr.2023.109736

•Two PV farms with an output of 20 MW were designed and their performances were studied.•Based on Markov processes and Z transformation a model to calculate the reliability indices of PV system was developed.•The obtained reliability indices are 83% and 88% for the studied solar farms. The quest for alternative energy sources, replacing the environmentally impacting fossil fuels, has resulted in the growing need to develop various new strategies in the field of renewable energies. A possible energy source is clean solar energy. The most common technology used is a silicon semiconductor device, which generates electrical output while interacting with light, known as Photo-Voltaic (PV) System. The reliability of PV modules and systems is critical to the commercial success of Photovoltaic systems. The technology combines multiple components, each of which could cause a system failure or energy losses. The reliability characterization measurements of a PV power system are complicated and only a few studies succeeded to design and simulate an efficient PV system. In the current study, two relatively large-scale solar farms were designed with an output of 20 MW. A comparison of the solar farms' performances was conducted, with an emphasis on the reliability indices of the systems. The obtained reliability indices are 83% and 88% for the studied solar farms.