Experimental trial on the electrical characteristics of photovoltaic panels under the effect of a simulated failure

In this work we measure electrical characteristics of different panels following the addition of a simulated failure, namely cracks on the protective layer of photovoltaic cells. The objective is to see its influence on the electrical production of panels on one side, and to see if it is possible to diagnose this failure on the other. The cracks are simulated using broken transparent plates that will be positioned on each solar panel before measuring its real characteristics. The results show that despite the continuity of the operation of the photovoltaic equipment in the presence of cracks, those last clearly influence the electrical power supplied by the panel. Among other things, they give a very particular form to its I-V characteristic which can be used to detect this failure