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    Application Story: Inspecting Roof Mounted Solar Panels With Thermal Imaging

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    Anonymous Wu6FDjb
    Thermal imaging cameras are being used to inspect solar panels to detect defects that could lower energy production or cause fires. Regular inspections can find issues like hot spots within panels early before they severely damage the system. A solar installation company in Italy works with a thermography agency to provide thermal imaging inspections using a FLIR T640bx camera, which can inspect entire systems wirelessly and produce on-site reports. Proper training is needed to perform accurate inspections and interpret temperature readings.

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    Application Story: Inspecting Roof Mounted Solar Panels With Thermal Imaging

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous Wu6FDjb
    56 views2 pages
    Thermal imaging cameras are being used to inspect solar panels to detect defects that could lower energy production or cause fires. Regular inspections can find issues like hot spots within panels early before they severely damage the system. A solar installation company in Italy works with a thermography agency to provide thermal imaging inspections using a FLIR T640bx camera, which can inspect entire systems wirelessly and produce on-site reports. Proper training is needed to perform accurate inspections and interpret temperature readings.

    Original Description:

    Thermography Solar

    Original Title

    T820452_EN

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    Thermal imaging cameras are being used to inspect solar panels to detect defects that could lower energy production or cause fires. Regular inspections can find issues like hot spots within panels early before they severely damage the system. A solar installation company in Italy works with a thermography agency to provide thermal imaging inspections using a FLIR T640bx camera, which can inspect entire systems wirelessly and produce on-site reports. Proper training is needed to perform accurate inspections and interpret temperature readings.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    56 views2 pages

    Application Story: Inspecting Roof Mounted Solar Panels With Thermal Imaging

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous Wu6FDjb
    Thermal imaging cameras are being used to inspect solar panels to detect defects that could lower energy production or cause fires. Regular inspections can find issues like hot spots within panels early before they severely damage the system. A solar installation company in Italy works with a thermography agency to provide thermal imaging inspections using a FLIR T640bx camera, which can inspect entire systems wirelessly and produce on-site reports. Proper training is needed to perform accurate inspections and interpret temperature readings.

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    application story

    Inspecting roof mounted solar panels


    with thermal imaging
    The sales of solar panels are soaring, which helps to reduce CO2 emissions at electricity
    plants. Over time solar panels may develop defects which can be easily fixed if detected
    on time, but can cause a severe drop in energy production and in some cases even start
    a fire if left unchecked. That is why more and more solar panel installers cooperate with
    experienced thermographers that offer regular thermal imaging inspections to ensure the
    safety and effective deployment of solar systems.
    As their temperatures rise solar panels
    become less efficient, producing less
    electricity. Some defects can cause them
    to break down or even produce a reverse
    current, which might damage the entire
    solar plant. Thermal imaging cameras can
    be used to detect hot spots in the panels
    from a distance, which makes it a lot
    easier to find defects before they become
    devastating breakdowns.

    is working together with Thermographic


    S.A.S. di Ermoni Alberto e C., an
    experienced thermographic inspection
    agency to offer thermal imaging
    inspections to their clients. This Melzo,
    Italy, based thermography agency offers
    thermographers with several decades of
    experience with thermography. One of
    these inspectors is Alberto Ermoni, a Level
    II certified thermographer.

    The Italian solar panel installation company


    ELEM srl is one of the companies that

    Thermal imaging cameras from


    FLIR Systems are the ideal tool for the

    This combination of several thermal images stitched together shows the entire photovoltaic installation.

    www.flir.com

    The FLIR T640bx thermal imaging camera is the


    perfect tool for solar panel inspections.

    This thermal image shows some defective cells within


    a solar panel. Overheating cells impede the performance of the entire photovoltaic system.

    inspection of solar panels, says Ermoni.


    This inspection method is non-destructive
    and non-invasive. You can use thermal
    imaging to inspect the solar panels under
    load, so no shutdown is required. When
    used properly, thermal imaging cameras
    will show accurate temperature differences
    between cells or within a single cell that
    allow you to identify faults in an early stage.

    application story
    FLIR T640bx thermal imaging camera and
    a Tablet PC or smartphone that is running
    the FLIR Viewer App makes it easy to show
    inspection results to clients on site and
    allows the inspector to produce reports
    on location, reducing the amount of time
    spent behind a desk.

    Inspect the entire system


    These inspections are also not limited
    to the solar panels alone. You can use
    thermal imaging to inspect the entire
    system, from the solar panels themselves
    to connections, inverters, fuses and all
    other electrical components in the
    system, explains Ermoni. If any part
    of the systems starts to wear down or
    develops a higher resistance for some
    other reason, the corresponding increase
    in temperature can be detected very easily
    with a thermal imaging camera, so you can
    fix the problem before the system fails.
    The thermal imaging camera Ermoni uses
    for these inspections is the FLIR T640bx.
    This camera combines top notch image
    quality with advanced features like
    wireless WiFi connectivity with a Tablet PC
    and a wireless Bluetooth connection to
    selected Extech test & measurement tools
    with the MeterLink feature, such as the
    Extech EX845 clamp meter. These wireless
    connections really make a huge difference.
    Another feature that I use often is the
    Picture-in-Picture feature. This overlay of
    a thermal image over the visual image
    allows me to better localize the hot spots.
    Wireless connection with Tablet PC or
    smartphone
    The FLIR T640bx thermal imaging camera
    contains a microbolometer detector that
    produces thermal images with a resolution
    of 640x480 pixels and at a thermal sensitivity
    of 35 mK (0.035 C). The ergonomic
    design allows the thermographer to look
    at objects from all possible angles. With
    its bright LCD screen and viewfinder it
    operates well, even in the sunny conditions
    that are ideal for solar panel inspections.
    The wireless WiFi connection between the

    Interchangeable lenses
    One other very important factor in
    Ermonis choice for the FLIR T640bx
    thermal imaging camera is the fact that it
    has interchangeable lenses. In some cases
    you are standing on a raised platform
    inspecting solar panels from a distance
    of 10 meters, but in another situation you
    might be inspecting the back end of panels
    from less than one meter distance. In these
    different situations you need different
    optics, a telephoto lens for the inspection
    from a distance and a wide angle lens for
    the short distance inspections. Many other
    thermal imaging camera models do not
    feature this flexibility in optics.

    Thermal imaging cameras can be used to inspect all


    components of a photovoltaic installation, including
    inverters, fuses, cables and connections.

    Good solar panel inspections require


    more than just a good thermal imaging
    panel alone, however, Ermoni stresses.
    Performing solar panel inspections
    properly can be quite a challenge. When
    you inspect the front of the panels you
    need to know how to choose the right
    vantage point and viewing angle to
    prevent reflections, , but you also need
    to know about emissivity and reflected
    temperature, if you want to get accurate
    temperature readings".
    ITC certified
    For that reason Ermoni has followed several
    courses at the FLIR Infrared Training Center
    (ITC). You really need this type of training
    to be able to deliver accurate reports, says
    Ermoni. After becoming a Level II certified
    thermographer, Ermoni even became
    ITC instructor himself. Having seen the
    importance of proper training in the field
    I am eager to share the knowledge I have
    gained with other thermographers.
    To Ermoni the choice for a FLIR thermal
    imaging camera was an obvious one. FLIR
    offers the whole package: very high quality
    cameras with advanced features and
    excellent image quality, good software,
    very good after sales service and training
    courses to match.

    For more information about thermal imaging


    cameras or about this application,
    please contact:

    This Picture-in-Picture image and corresponding


    graph shows two line-analysis strings. The temperature measurements along these lines are similar and
    remain below the maximum limit. This indicates that
    these fuses are functioning properly.

    FLIR Commercial Systems


    Luxemburgstraat 2
    2321 Meer
    Belgium
    Tel. : +32 (0) 3665 5100
    Fax : +32 (0) 3303 5624
    e-mail: [email protected]

    T820452 {EN_uk}_A

    These solar modules show no defects, as their


    temperatures are within the maximum temperature
    specified by the solar panel producer as normal for
    operation in sunny conditions.

    The MeterLink connection over Bluetooth


    allows the FLIR thermal imaging camera to
    automatically embed measurements from
    selected Extech measurement devices
    with the MeterLink feature, making
    writing down the measurements on a
    piece of paper redundant. This not only
    speeds up inspections, it also reduces the
    risk of human errors.

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