Our Case Studies

Open circuit faults made up 515 of the 815 records (about 63%), followed by 150 module hotspots, 43 multiple hotspots and 23 burnt junction boxes. Dust, shadow, vegetation, a single active bypass diode and 7 hotspots account for the rest. The site team received a layout-referenced list of every record, with IV curve testing suggested for root cause on the affected modules.

What we noticed: open circuit records usually span 4 to 7 panels within a single table, which points to a string or sub-string problem rather than isolated bad modules. They also cluster: SCB7 under inverter I1 in block B27, and SCB37 under inverter I3 in block B20, each carry dozens of records. Checking those combiner boxes and string connections first is a sensible start.

Limits: the counts describe one thermal survey window. Repair status and energy recovery are not part of this report.

Sub-string short circuits (5,496) and vegetation (4,299) together account for about 71% of all records. Dust added 2,037, multiple hotspots 1,250, open circuit strings 350, hotspots 259, module hotspots 93, shadow 51 and physical damage 13.

What we noticed: a sub-string short circuit usually shows as one sub-string, about a third of a module, running warmer, which is why it is counted apart from whole-module hotspots. Vegetation and dust records point at site conditions rather than module faults, so they are counted separately from electrical faults.

Limits: the counts describe one thermal survey window, and a record is an anomaly, not a confirmed failed module. Repair status and energy recovery are not part of this report.

Corrosion is the main finding (340 records), followed by 144 involving hotspots and 29 vegetation. By location: tower body 151, insulators 116, anti-climb fences 109, joints 92, pole legs 27 and jumpers 27. The other 378 records are rated low criticality.

What we noticed: most findings are corrosion on structural steel and fences, while hotspots on insulators and joints carry the electrical risk, which is why the workbook separates defect type from criticality.

Limits: the 144 high-criticality records are the ones to check first. The workbook shows all records unresolved at delivery, and repair outcomes are not covered here.

The delivered package: orthophoto, terrain model, contour drawing, RL point drawing, 10 by 10 m spot levels and a topographic feature map covering buildings, water bodies, canals, wells, roads, culverts, check dams and power lines.

The report uses the RL points for cut-and-fill assessment and grading limits, and the terrain model for drainage flow and accumulation zones.

Limits: elevations are relative to the project datum and tied to the site benchmarks; the 391 to 448 m range is the terrain model range across the surveyed boundary.