A Visual Inspection Data Collection Tool for Floating Photovoltaic Systems

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) system reliability depends on the reliable performance of all system components, with degradation and/or failure of even a single element potentially leading to more extensive failure. Yet, most FPV reliability research to date has focused on the PV modules, leaving other components underexplored. To help address this gap, we here present a data collection tool for visual inspection of FPV systems. The tool complements existing tools for PV modules and enables the quantifiable assessment of visual defects on all non-module components in any FPV system. As such, it facilitates the evaluation of (long-term) visually observable degradation and/or failure in FPV systems and enables correlational analysis with system design and site-specific stressors, informing targeted system improvements and operations & maintenance (O&M) strategies. Lastly, if outputs are openly shared, large-scale use of the tool can provide statistics on FPV system degradation that can help derisk the sector as a whole.