Track 3 Session 5
9:10 to 10:10 a.m. Wednesday June 10, 2009

Reliability and Availability Analysis of a Fielded Photovoltaic System

The reliability and availability of photovoltaic systems have not been thoroughly investigated. Manufacturers in the photovoltaic industry are offering warranties of 20 years and better for photovoltaic modules with incomplete knowledge of their reliability in the diverse environments in which they are deployed. The expected lifetime performance of other critical system components such as inverters and the balance of system components are not completely understood. There is a need among all stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, manufacturers, regulators, utility operators and consumers, for a useful system predictive model to facilitate trade-offs and improvements in design, manufacturing and in-situ operation and to anticipate system performance over its lifetime. This presentation describes a preliminary framework for a predictive model for reliability and availability that is intended to assist in driving reliability improvement for photovoltaic systems.

Key Words: Availability, Reliability, Failure Mode, Reliability Block Diagram

Michael Mundt
Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, New Mexico