SUNFIG CORPORATION — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 12a

Description

Solar energy accounts for 30% of all new capacity added to the United States electric grid since 2015, competing with traditional energy sources in an ever-increasing number of markets. The DOE is committed to further reducing the cost of energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems by introducing a novel technology for Real-Time Series Resistance (RTSR) remote measurement. A series resistance measurement indicates if a PV module is functioning properly, but there is currently no method of measurement that does not require physically disconnecting the module and collecting data on-site – a time-consuming procedure that drives up the cost of solar ownership. NREL has developed and lab-demonstrated an algorithm that allows remote measurement of series resistance. The goal of Phase I is to commercialize this algorithm to be used throughout the industry to monitor module health, reducing operating costs and improving project performance. In collaboration with industry leaders with over a gigawatt of combined monitored solar assets, Sunfig will validate and improve the existing algorithm using real field data and machine learning. Sunfig will then scale and distribute the algorithm to operators, owners, and asset management software teams through a cloud-based application programing interface (API). At the end of Phase I, any public or government user will be able to monitor the health of their PV system by communicating with the RTSR API.