Assessment of string performance using self‐referencing method in comparison to performance ratio

Abstract In this study, we introduce a weather data independent self‐referencing algorithm for performance analyses of PV power stations based on monitoring data. We introduce this method as an alternative to standard performance ratio analyses, in the case that no meteorological data are available. The self‐referencing algorithm utilizes the string with maximum output as a reference. The output of other strings is set in relation to the corresponding value of the reference string, resulting in a quantity we call self‐referencing ratio SR. We benchmark this ratio against the established performance ratio, which requires solar irradiance data for calculation. Based on a 9 MWp PV power station with 1,719 strings, we show that we are able to quantify, locate, and visualize the performance of each string in the PV power station. About 10% of the strings are underperforming; most of them are located in the bottom rows of the mounting racks. Shading from adjacent mounting racks is a possible explanation for this finding. Furthermore, IR‐images and voltage data indicate a frequent occurrence of strings with a reduced number of modules. An underperformance of less than 2% is challenging to detect, due to the uncertainty range of the chosen dataset.