Our first test site is now fully functional, and has been since early May, 2008.  The first full day of information uploaded to our internet server on Tuesday, May 6, and it has been busy uploading information every six minutes during daylight hours since then.

We have completed an analysis of the first day’s data and a report is attached. The combination of a partly cloudy day and significant shading of the site in the morning and afternoon from nearby trees led to a very interesting analysis. The day’s events and subsequent analysis show that having power measurements for individual solar panels provides the ability to easily distinguish between cloudiness, that affects all panels, and shading events, that affect only some of the panels. This has implications far beyond shading that encompass virtually all forms of solar panel underperformance including soiling, failure, partial failure, connection failure, and defective bypass diodes. Of course, since data is collected every six minutes, intermittent failures are also identified, as are blown fuses or connection failures anywhere in the system.  Together this information provides the owner with detailed assurance as to proper operation of their solar power site during the day.