Open data sets for assessing photovoltaic system reliability

Xin Chen, Baojie Li, Jennifer L. Braid, Brandon Byford, Dylan J. Colvin, Andrew Glaws, Norman Jost, Benjamin Pierce, Salil Rabade, Martin Springer and Anubhav Jain

Applied Energy, 2025, vol. 395, issue C, No S0306261925008621

Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) systems have become a cornerstone of renewable energy strategies, particularly due to the significant reduction in solar power costs over the past decade. However, the long-term reliability of PV installations presents a persistent challenge, requiring the development of advanced monitoring and predictive maintenance strategies. A wide range of data types is used to evaluate the health of PV systems, including environmental conditions, electrical performance, and inspection imagery. These data enable methodologies such as machine learning (ML) models for lifetime prediction and computer vision techniques for defect detection. However, the acquisition of high-quality and comprehensive data is difficult, particularly in terms of long-term consistency and data variety. Publicly available data sets serve as valuable resources for addressing these challenges, but they often suffer from fragmentation and are difficult to access. This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing open-source data sets related to PV degradation, analyzing their features, functionalities, and potential applications. We categorize these data sets based on the specific aspects of PV system information they cover, such as environmental conditions, operational monitoring, image inspection and module materials, and propose relevant tools and ML models for processing them. In addition, we propose practices for future data collection and usage, while also discussing potential directions in data-driven research. Our aim is to enhance data utilization and publication among researchers and industry professionals, promoting a deeper understanding of the role of data in enhancing the performance and durability of PV systems.

Keywords: Photovoltaic degradation; Solar module durability; Open-source data set; Machine learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126132

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