A DIVE INTO DIODES AND MODULE FAILURES

Bypass diodes are installed in the majority of PV modules to provide protection against overheating and possible fires from shading, soiling, or damage. But recent trends indicate that a growing number of them may be failing, causing potential problems in the field.

First the fundamentals: what are diodes? How do bypass diodes interact with PV circuits? And how do they affect energy production? Next, we will consider failure modes and whether they are due to manufacturing issues or environmental wear-and-tear. Diodes can fail open or closed, with different production and safety ramifications from each mode, and other module issues can result in these same symptoms. Finally, we will discuss strategies for finding and remedying these failures with minimal downtime.

We will review case studies, field anecdotes, and evidence to provide insight into issues that you may be having with PV arrays, in order to increase O&M efficiency and ensure safe, functional systems for many years to come.

This training will be of interest to asset owners and operators, O&M service providers, performance engineers, and module manufacturers.