Fluke Solmetric PVA-1500 Series PV Analyser & I-V Curve Tracer

Maximise solar energy and minimise solar panel downtime with the Fluke Solmetric PVA-1500 Series PV Analyser & I-V Curve Tracer. This high-precision instrument empowers engineers to assess the health and performance of solar modules and farms, enabling them to make informed decisions that enhance the output and longevity of PV arrays. Advanced features such as a high throughput I-V curve tracing (up to 1500V and 30A); a SolSensor™ PV Reference Sensor; and compatibility with Fluke’s PVA Application and Data Analysis Tool, combined with the Solmetric PVA-1500’s wireless connectivity and intuitive user interface facilitate detailed, efficient, real-time testing. As a result, engineers can pinpoint and address potential problems at an earlier stage, thereby reducing both downtime and repair costs while maximising solar energy productivity. Moreover, data may be stored to serve as a baseline for future performance inquiries. Consequently, the Fluke PVA-1500 is suitable for commissioning, operations maintenance, and auditing, as well as troubleshooting applications. A PVA1500T2 with a SolSensor stands in gravel dessert in front of rows of solar panels

Fluke PVA-1500 Accurate I-V Curve Tracing

Using a capacitive load, the PVA-1500 measures the I-V (current vs voltage) curve of PV strings or modules. Engineers can set the number of I-V points at 100 or 500. Further to this, the Fluke PVA-1500 can generate the P-V (power vs voltage) curve, as well as determine Isc, Voc, Imp, Vmp, Pmax, fill factor, and performance factor (the ratio of measured to expected maximum power).

SolSensor™ Wireless PV Reference Sensor

The SolSensor™ clamps onto the frame of the solar panel frame and automatically orientates the irradiance sensor to the plane-of-the-array. It provides the PVA-1500 Analyser with irradiance, solar module temperature, and array tilt data which the analyser uses to predict the I-V curve shape under real-world conditions and subsequently converts this to standard test conditions.

SolSensor™ Irradiance & Temperature Accuracy

To ensure the SolSensor™ remains accurate when measuring an array of solar technologies under various sky conditions and sun angles, its silicon photodiode sensor includes:

PV technology compensation, including special factors for multi- and mono-crystalline cells; cadmium telluride (CdTe); and other thin-film technologies
Temperature compensation
Rotation and elevation calibration

As a result, I-V curve measurements may be taken earlier and later in the day. Effective cell temperature can be calculated from the measured I-V curve per IEC 60904-5. Alternatively, the SolSensor™ includes two thermocouple inputs for measuring module backside temperatures. To ensure the best accuracy, the PVA-1500 offers a SmartTemp™ feature which blends both of these methods.

Fluke PVA-1500 Simple Interface & Wireless Connectivity

The Fluke PVA-1500 Analyser and SolSensor™ communicate wirelessly with the engineer’s Windows laptop or tablet. Both offer a line-of-sight wireless range of 100m. This delivers maximum flexibility and efficiency as engineers can move around sites freely without cumbersome wires and enables multiple combiner boxes to be measured with a single SolSensor™ setup.

Furthermore, as the engineer’s laptop or tablet serves as the user interface, performing tests and viewing data in multiple formats becomes quick and easy.

PVA Application & Data Analysis Tool

Fluke’s PVA Application enables data capture in the field while the Microsoft Excel-based Data Analysis Tool facilitates streamlined analysis of I-V curve data. The Data Analysis Tool is available in multiple languages and can be downloaded for free. It offers the following capabilities:

Analyse results in multiple formats
Compile key PV parameters in a string table
Flags non-conforming strings
Statistical overview of the entire array
Visually combines string I-V curves at the combiner box level
Generates histograms for PV parameters across the string population
Create customisable reports and export them as PDFs

Fluke PVA-1500 Options

There are two versions of the Fluke PVA-1500 available: the standard PVA-1500T2 and the high-efficiency PVA-1500HE2. The Fluke PVA-1500HE2 High-efficiency PV Analyser & I-V Curve Tracer differs in that it can measure all string types, including high-efficiency models up to 30A. Furthermore, the PVA-1500HE2 operates with a sweep-to-sweep delay of 9 seconds which means it can measure 3.5MW within an hour even under high temperatures.

Fluke PVA-1500HE Kits

Fluke’s high-efficiency PVA-1500HE2 PV Analyser & I-V Curve Tracer is available independently or as part of four kits. Please see the table below for details.

Options	High-Efficiency	Thermography Kit	Clamp & Multimeter Kit	Insulation, Clamp, & Multimeter Kit	Insulation Testing Kit
PVA-1500HE2	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Fluke TiS75+ Thermal Camera	-	✔	-	-	-
Fluke 393 FC Clamp Meter	-	-	✔	✔	-
Fluke 87V Multimeter	-	-	✔	✔	-
Fluke 1587 FC Insulation Tester & Multimeter	-	-	-	✔	-
Fluke 1537 Insulation Resistance Tester & Megohmmeter	-	-	-	-	✔

The Fluke PVA-1500 Series PV Analyser & I-V Curve Tracer is a highly accurate, ergonomic, and simple-to-use PV tester suitable for assessing the health and performance of solar modules and farms.