Defect Detection for Solar Panels deployed on building Rooftops or Interim Land

Please Note Corrigendum 1 for Phase 3 published on 8 Oct 2020 

JTC and Whole-of-Government (WOG) are deploying solar panels in suitable spaces in Singapore, hence with the wide-scale deployment, being able to detect defective panels effectively will allow JTC to ensure optimised renewable energy generation and minimise any risks from defective electronics.

1. Not limited to the method of scanning the solar farm, the proposed system to detect defects and faults should be low-cost and the process should be completed within a short period of time accurately ;
2. Methods proposed should capture conditions of defects and it must be georeferenced; and
3. Data analytics to predict potential panel failures.

Technologies/systems that can accurately and quickly identify a variety of defects, such as hot spots, cracks or PID in solar plants, and flag out fault conditions and generate reports is a possible solution to mitigate such a challenge. The solution will shorten the time needed to identify problem areas in solar installations and enable solar plants to improve plant yield and increase safety of operation and maintenance.

Scanning solutions: Electro-luminous camera analytics.

Analytic platform: Management system that allows JTC and end-user to process data and identify (potential) defects in Photovoltaic plants.

Total project period duration shall not exceed 12 months.

Please Note Corrigendum 1 for Phase 3 published on 8 Oct 2020