Vegetation shading
Vegetation shading is grass, shrubs or trees growing in front of or under the panels and partly shading them. The SolarDetech platform classifies this anomaly automatically in RGB and thermal imagery together.
Vegetation
Definition
Vegetation shades the cells closest to the lower edge of the panel in particular. Shaded cells cannot produce current, heat up and can cause the bypass diodes to switch in. Because growth is seasonal, the anomaly becomes pronounced at certain times of year.
Signs in the imagery
The RGB image shows vegetation rising in front of or under the panel row and irregular shade falling on the panel surface. In the thermal image the shaded cells or substrings look warm. Assessing both channels together shows that the cause of the heating lies outside the panel.
Possible causes
- Grass growing tall between mowing rounds
- Trees and shrubs growing along the site boundary
- Uncontrolled growth in the area under the panels
Effect on production and safety
Shaded cells and substrings reduce production, and the loss grows as the vegetation grows. Persistent shade causes the bypass diodes to switch in frequently and the cells to heat up. Dense vegetation under the panels also gets in the way of the cables and of maintenance access.
Recommended action
Raise a mowing work order for the rows where vegetation shading appears, and mow more often during the growing season. Plan pruning for trees at the site boundary. At the flight after mowing, confirm that the shade-related heating has gone.
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