Off-Grid Inverter Faults: Diagnosis, Symptoms and Cause of Failure

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In this paper, statistical data regarding off-grid inverter faults are presented, derived from the maintenance records of a major service center in Greece. Several commercial types of inverters for autonomous photovoltaic (PV) systems have been examined, presenting different types of faults and malfunctions. The service procedures recorded encompass fault diagnosis, specific failed parts, symptoms indicating malfunction and estimated cause of failure for each case. The statistical analysis undertaken leads to useful conclusions about the robustness and weak points for off-grid equipment, as well as the common failure causes and malfunction indications.

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315-321

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May 2016

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