Abstract
Procurement, installation and operation are different phases of a photovoltaic (PV) plant life cycle. Each of these phases come with different risks. These risks and their possible effects are shown in this paper with particular focus on PV modules, explained along the real construction of a PV plant in northern Italy. The quality is tested during all phases; before procurement to ensure module quality, after transport and installation to detect the impact of wrong handling, and during the operational phase. Electroluminescence, current-voltage curve measurements, infrared thermography and daylight photoluminescence were performed. Electroluminescence and current-voltage curve measurements were carried out during procurement and after transport and installation to evaluate the impact of module mishandling. The damage wrong handling of a PV module can cause is shown. During the first year of operation, two infrared thermography inspections were performed to assess the health status of the PV plant and to detect possible further degradation modes, which have not been noticed before. The development of hot spots over half a year is analyzed and severe cell cracks were found as root causes, detected through daylight photoluminescence imagery. Further, the applicability of daylight photoluminescence and the detectability of degradation modes in images of two varying distances is investigated.