Thermal Imaging Inspection

Our thermographer is formally trained and certified under the requirements of nondestructive testing (NDT) criteria for thermal imaging and conforms to the relevant Standards and client QA documentation. When engaging someone to conduct thermal imaging always confirm that they hold the appropriate certification.

When inspecting photovoltaic solar panels, a thermographic inspection will highlight defective cells using a warmer colour on a cooler background. Defective cells can be 10° to 15° or higher in temperature than the rest of the panel. This temperature differential is referred to as Delta T (ΔT).

Optimal weather conditions for thermal imaging are when the solar irradiance is at or above 650 W/m² on a clear and dry day. For the best possible temperature differentiation, it is recommended to carry out measurements when the outdoor temperatures are low (ie morning or evening).

Solar panel hotspots can create two issues:

Fall in overall power production since cells consume power instead of producing.
Power consumption continues to heat up cells and affect the production of neighbouring cells.

When surveying solar farms, we not only undertake cell panel thermography but can also include the visual assessment of the main infrastructure (racking). All of this information is captured in “TcorrSoft” and allows the client to automatically create reports to pass onto contractors for the remediation of the defects.