A modified bypass circuit for improved hot spot reliability of solar panels subject to partial shading

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 134; pp. 211 - 218
• Main Authors: Daliento, Santolo, Di Napoli, Fabio, Guerriero, Pierluigi, d’Alessandro, Vincenzo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2016; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Active bypass; Diodes; Hot spot; Partial shading; Photovoltaic cells; Power supply; Shunt resistance; Solar cells; Solar energy; Solar panels; Partial shading; Active bypass; Hot spot; Shunt resistance

•A bypass circuit for PV modules suited to reduce the hot spot temperature is proposed.•Mechanisms leading to hot spot formation are reviewed.•Thermographic images are exploited for characterizing PV panels in bypass operation.•The cooling improvement compared to a standard diode is confirmed by exp...