Shahandashti, M; Ashuri, B and Mostaan, K (2018) Automatic fault detection for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems using time series methods. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 8(2), pp. 160-170. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose: Faults in the actual outdoor performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems can go unnoticed for several months since the energy productions are subject to significant variations that could mask faulty behaviors. Even large BIPV energy deficits could be hard to detect. The purpose of this paper is to develop a cost-effective approach to automatically detect faults in the energy productions of BIPV systems using historical BIPV energy productions as the only source of information that is typically collected in all BIPV systems. Design/methodology/approach: Energy productions of BIPV systems are time series in nature. Therefore, time series methods are used to automatically detect two categories of faults (outliers and structure changes) in the monthly energy productions of BIPV systems. The research methodology consists of the automatic detection of outliers in energy productions, and automatic detection of structure changes in energy productions. Findings: The proposed approach is applied to detect faults in the monthly energy productions of 89 BIPV systems. The results confirm that outliers and structure changes can be automatically detected in the monthly energy productions of BIPV systems using time series methods in presence of short-term variations, monthly seasonality, and long-term degradation in performance. Originality/value: Unlike existing methods, the proposed approach does not require performance ratio calculation, operating condition data, such as solar irradiation, or the output of neighboring BIPV systems. It only uses the historical information about the BIPV energy productions to distinguish between faults and other time series properties including seasonality, short-term variations, and degradation trends.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | automatic fault detection; energy performance; operations and production management; performance monitoring; renewable energy; time series analysis |
| Index terms: | variation, methodology, photovoltaic, research methodology, presence, energy performance, renewable energy, time series, production management, time-series analysis, degradation, irradiation, performance monitoring |
| Subjects: | research evaluation and metrics, thermal systems, monitoring and control systems, research methods, contractual condition, project delivery, material degradation and durability, data science, energy systems, environmental science, research design and methodology |
| Topics: | Contract Administration, Project Management, Research Practice, Construction Materials, Governance, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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