International Business Machines Corporation

Utopus Insights, Inc.

Kalyan Dasgupta

Jagabondhu Hazra

Manikandan Padmanaban

Shivkumar Kalyanaraman

Amar Prakash Azad

Pankaj Satyanarayan Dayama

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided herein in connection with IoT-enabled solar PV health monitoring and advising related thereto. A computer-implemented method includes obtaining current-voltage samples corresponding to solar photovoltaic modules by triggering switch circuitry between (i) an inverter attributed to the solar photovoltaic modules and (ii) a current-voltage tracer; detecting one or more anomalies in the obtained current-voltage samples by applying machine learning techniques to the obtained current-voltage samples; automatically performing a root cause analysis on the detected anomalies by (i) converting the obtained current-voltage samples to sequential data, (ii) applying a sequence classifier to the sequential data, and (iii) identifying a pre-determined anomaly class comparable to the sequential data based on the application of the sequence classifier; and automatically generating and outputting a suggestion for remedial action based on the identified pre-determined anomaly class.

Internet of things-enabled solar photovoltaic health monitoring and advising related thereto

One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving configuration input for a solar structure; the configuration input comprising (i) a geographical location, (ii) module configuration input, and (iii) reflector configuration input; identifying the position of the sun; determining an angle between the solar reflector and the solar module corresponding to a predetermined power gain for the solar module, wherein the determining comprises (i) identifying the corresponding area of the solar module that is illuminated by the solar reflector and (ii) totaling the contributions from each of the solar reflectors to calculate an irradiance for each solar cell; adjusting the angles of at least some of the solar reflectors with respect to the solar module to angles determined to correspond to the predetermined power gain using at least one actuator; and dynamically changing how the solar cells are electrically connected together to form a plurality of strings.

Solar structure

One embodiment provides a method, including: utilizing at least one processor to execute computer code that performs the steps of: receiving forecasted geomagnetic information caused by solar activity; estimating, using the forecasted geomagnetic information, a geomagnetically induced potential for each of a plurality of transformers operatively coupled to a transmission line, wherein the geomagnetically induced potential is created by geomagnetic disturbances identified using the forecasted geomagnetic information; determining an optimized compensation voltage to be applied to at least one of the plurality of transformers operatively coupled to the transmission line, wherein the optimized compensation voltage comprises a voltage that reduces the potential difference, caused by the induced potential, between neutral lines of the plurality of transformers; and applying the optimized compensation voltage to at least one of the plurality of transformers operatively coupled to the transmission line. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Geomagnetically induced potential compensation

Methods and arrangements for power theft location in an electrical grid. A contemplated method includes: utilizing at least one processor to execute computer code that performs the steps of: receiving an indication of a voltage of a plurality of nodes in the branch of the electrical distribution grid; identifying voltage differences between at least of two of the plurality of the nodes over a predetermined number of days, relative to different time periods within each day, wherein the at least two of the plurality of the nodes are at a known relative position in the branch of the electrical distribution grid; and evaluating the identified voltage differences to determine whether the identified voltage differences satisfy a predetermined criterion indicating no power theft. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.

Power theft location identification in distribution systems using voltage reading from smart meters

One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving photovoltaic output from a solar module, the solar module comprising a plurality of solar panels electronically connected together by a plurality of strings, wherein the photovoltaic output corresponding to any given one of the strings is limited by the lowest performing solar panel in said given one of the strings; determining a reflection profile for the solar module, wherein the reflection profile describes an illumination pattern of light incident onto the solar module; and increasing, based upon the determined reflection profile, the photovoltaic output of the solar module to match a requested photovoltaic output, wherein the increasing comprises electrically reassigning one or more solar panels within the solar module from one string to a different string, such that each string electrically ties together solar panels that produce a photovoltaic output within a predetermined range of each other.

Growing community of inventors

Bengaluru, India

Kalyan Dasgupta