Application of plug-in real time Hot-Spot detection system into PV peak bridge method in PV generation system

Currently, the production and installation quantity of photovoltaic modules has been increasing rapidly. Meanwhile, the failure cases are also increasing. Accordingly, many failures are results of the Hot-Spot phenomenon. This is a phenomenon in which the entire or part of the defective cell becomes hot when shadow occurs on the cell for a long period. In severe cases, the phenomenon causes breaking of the cell and a fire. While there are many Hot-Spot inspection methods, such as using infrared cameras, the inspection instruments of these methods are expensive, and these methods also require a lot of time and effort during the inspection. Previously, the authors proposed a Hot-Spot detection system included into PCS. In this paper, we proposed plug-in type Hot-Spot detection system, and report about effectiveness of the system.