Photovoltaic Plant Inspection Methods

Webinar

Thursday, July 28, 2022 I 11:00am BRT/4:00pm CEST I Language: Portuguese

As the competitiveness of photovoltaics increases in the energy market, the reliability of the technology is a major concern. Therefore, reliable and efficient methods of operation and maintenance (O&M) of PV plants are of utmost importance to ensure the safety, availability and productivity of the systems. In recent years, various methods of inspection and fault diagnosis have been developed. This webinar aims to discuss some of the most common methods available: IV curve measurement, electroluminescence (EL) and aerial infrared thermography (aIRT).

Speakers

Aline Kirsten Vidal de Oliveira, Fotovoltaica UFSC / Rede Brasileira de Mulheres na Energia Solar

Aline Kirsten is an electrical engineer and PhD student at the Photovoltaic Lab of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, where she is active in PV solar plants inspections, electric mobility and energy storage, including second-life batteries. She co-founded the Brazilian Network of Women in Solar Energy, is a vice president of the Brazilian Solar Energy Association (ABENS), and represents Young ISES on the board of the International Society of Solar Energy (ISES).

Marília Braga, Fotovoltaica-UFSC

Marília Braga has been a researcher at the Fotovoltaica-UFSC research group for nearly 10 years, where she works under Prof. Dr. Ricardo Rüther with data analysis and design of photovoltaic and energy storage systems for grid-connected and off-grid applications. Marília has experience in all stages of the development of photovoltaic systems, from sizing, simulation and design, to performance analysis, having participated in commissioning and fault detection activities of more than 300 MWp of utility-scale PV plants. Additionally, in the Fotovoltaica-UFSC group, Marília helps coordinate the team and participates in research projects in the areas of battery energy storage, electric vehicles, and the production of green hydrogen. Marília is currently in Australia working as a visiting research scientist at CSIRO, the country's main science and innovation organization.

Prof. Izete Zanesco, PUCRS

Izete Zanesco is a professor at the Polytechnic School of PUC-RS (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul), on its Postgraduate Program in Materials Engineering and Technology. She has been awarded a Productivity-in-Practise fellowship in Technological Development and Innovative Extension at CNPq. Together with Prof. Adriano Moehlecke, she coordinates the Solar Energy Technology Center (NT-Solar) at PUC-RS’s Polytechnic School, advising students at undergraduate, specialization, master’s and doctoral levels.

Her R&D activities focus on solar cells, PV modules and systems, and she coordinates and cooperates in R&D projects financed by energy private sector companies, and by FINEP and CNPq. She has published more than 150 articles on PV solar energy for conferences and for Brazilian and international journals, and has filed for 8 patents. She has been a member of ABENS (Brazilian Solar Energy Association) since 2003 and ISES (International Solar Energy Society) since 1998. She co-founded MESol (Brazilian Network of Women in Solar Energy).

Her pilot plant project for the production of photovoltaic modules with Brazilian technology in association with CB-Solar, coordinated by Prof. Adriano Moehlecke, won the 2nd Best Universities Award in the Innovation and Sustainability Category in 2006. She was nominated for the Claudia Magazine Award in the science category in 2011.

Izete has a B.A. degree in Physics, a Master’s degree in Energy Engineering in and a PhD in Photovoltaic Engineering.

Prof. Adriano Moehlecke, PUCRS

Adriano Moehlecke is a full professor at the Polytechnic School of PUC-RS (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul), on its Postgraduate Program in Materials Engineering and Technology. He also coordinates its bachelor’s and master’s courses in Physics and is a Technological Development fellow level 1D at CNPq. Together with Dr. Izete Zanesco, he coordinates the Solar Energy Technology Center (NT-Solar) at PUC-RS’s Polytechnic School.

His R&D activities focus on solar cells, PV modules and systems, and he coordinates and cooperates in R&D projects financed by energy private sector companies, and by FINEP and CNPq. He has published more than 150 articles on PV solar energy for conferences and for Brazilian and international journals. He has been awarded several prizes for his contributions to the development of solar cells, including a Special Prize for his doctoral thesis at UPM (Polytechnic University of Madrid) in 1998, and a Young Scientist Award, Graduate Category, in 2002.

Adriano has a B.A. degree in Physics, a Master’s degree in Energy Engineering and a PhD in Engineering from UPM.

Moderator

Marcelo Pinho Almeida, IEE-USP

Marcelo Pinho Almeida is the current President of ABENS (Brazilian Association of Solar Energy). He has been active in the PV power generation industry particularly on stand-alone and grid-connected applications since 2006, and currently conducts research and extension programs at IEE-USP (the University of São Paulo’s Institute of Electrotechnics and Energy). Marcelo is an Electrical Engineer from UFPA (Federal University of Pará) and a Ph.D. in Energy from USP’s Postgraduate Program.

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