New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Fraunhofer Institute develops module-level monitoring for large PV plants
13/4/2026
News
A new monitoring system that enables module-level fault detection in utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants is being developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.
Developed as part of the €867,000 EU-funded ZeroDefect4PV project, the system combines module level sensing with AI based diagnostics to improve fault identification, support predictive maintenance and increase overall plant availability.
In large PV installations, conventional monitoring systems typically operate at string or inverter level, meaning faults affecting individual modules often go unnoticed. Underperforming modules can therefore remain undetected until they begin to affect overall plant yield.
While intact bypass diodes can limit power losses when a module fails, defective diodes allow efficiency losses to spread across entire strings. This can significantly reduce energy yield and plant availability, leading to measurable economic losses.
The proposed system addresses this limitation through the deployment of compact sensors mounted on the rear of individual modules. These sensors measure current, voltage and temperature, while irradiation data is supplied via a separate weather station. Measurements are transmitted via a wireless mesh network to a central platform, where the data is synchronised and analysed.
AI models developed at Fraunhofer evaluate deviations from expected performance and can attribute anomalies to specific causes, including localised module faults, soiling or shading. Beyond fault detection, the system is designed to generate recommendations for corrective actions such as module cleaning or replacement.
Testing is currently underway at Fraunhofer’s Elbfabrik research facility, where sensor performance, communications reliability and AI based fault detection are being validated under controlled fault conditions.
Other project partners are Beia Consult International of Romania and INELSO Innovative Electrical Solutions of Turkey.
TNO develops perovskite solar roof tile
Researchers at TNO, the Netherlands’ national applied research organisation, have developed what they describe as the world’s first perovskite based solar roof tile, demonstrating the integration of flexible PV modules onto curved roofing surfaces with minimal efficiency loss.
The device sees a flexible perovskite module fabricated on foil attached to a composite roof tile developed in collaboration with Dutch solar technology company ASAT. In testing, the curved tile achieved an efficiency of 12.4%, compared with 13.8% for the same module measured in a flat configuration, indicating that bending results in only a modest performance penalty.
The work forms part of TNO’s broader research programme on flexible perovskite PV, a technology platform seen as promising due to its low material consumption and compatibility with roll-to-roll manufacturing. According to TNO, the materials and processes used in the demonstrator are already compatible with industrial conditions, enabling continuous production of solar foils using standard manufacturing equipment.
The programme has progressed from laboratory scale cells to 10×10 cm flexible modules and, most recently, to an integrated roof tile demonstrator.
TNO is now focusing on improving lifetime, reliability and scalability, with the goal of preparing the technology for commercial deployment. To support this transition, the organisation has recently launched Perovion Technologies, a spin off intended to accelerate industrialisation and market entry.
