High-throughput UVF systems for fast, non-contact inspection of PV panels.
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Dr. Amir Abdallah,
Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI)
Where It Works, It Works Great; UVF works best on panels with polymer backsheets that have been in the field already for a few years. As the encapsulant ages, its fluorescence image evolves, revealing some defects even more clearly than EL.
Detect PID, encapsulant degradation, and other age-related or environmental damage, especially useful for performance monitoring and field inspection of aging installations.
The UVF-Spot combines a high-power UV flash with a highly sensitive pole mounted camera and can image multiple panels every 5 seconds to see problems such as cell cracks, sealing failures, and bill of material (BOM) variations.
UVF DroneSpot brings BrightSpot’s UV fluorescence imaging into the sky. This system is designed for large-scale inspection of solar farms, enabling fast detection of PID, delamination, and encapsulant degradation from above.
The UVF Kit is a lightweight, portable system for quick UV fluorescence testing in the field. It includes a handheld UV light source and a compact camera system, making it ideal for on-the-spot inspections, training, or field research.
See what UVF can do compared to Electroluminescence and Photoluminescence
| Factor | EL | PL | UVF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noncontact – no need to bias cells/panels | Yes | No | No |
| High Throughput | No | No | Yes |
| New Panels | Yes | Yes | No |
| See cracks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| See disconnected cell segments | Yes | No | No |
| Tell “when” cracking happened | No | Yes | No |
| See cold solder or weld joints | Yes | No | No |
| See gridline corrosion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| See hot spots | No | No | Yes |
| See edge seal and junction box seal failure | No | No | Yes |
The UV Fluorescence technique works with panels that have polymer backsheets. Fluorophores are contained in panel encapsulants and backsheets – leading to fluorescence in the visible spectrum when exposed to UV light.
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