Systems and methods for monitoring and diagnostics of photovoltaic solar modules in photovoltaic systems

A method for monitoring a photovoltaic module, the method comprising:

• initiating a monitoring process for a photovoltaic module at a predetermined time, the photovoltaic module being connected to at least another module in a photovoltaic string as a part of a photovoltaic array;
• measuring one or more parameters of the photovoltaic module by a monitoring circuit, the one or more parameters including a module current flowing through the photovoltaic module, a module voltage across the photovoltaic module, and a module temperature of the photovoltaic module;
• collecting one or more measurement results of the one or more parameters;
• transmitting the one or more collected results using one or more radio-frequency signals;
• processing information associated with the one or more transmitted results;
• determining a module status for the photovoltaic module based on at least information associated with the one or more transmitted results;
• making one or more adjustments with respect to the photovoltaic module based on at least information associated with the determined status;
• wherein the process for measuring one or more parameters of a photovoltaic module is performed with sunlight but without removing the photovoltaic module from the photovoltaic array.

A system for monitoring a photovoltaic array, the system comprising:

• a photovoltaic array including a plurality of photovoltaic strings;
• wherein:
• each of the plurality of photovoltaic strings includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules;
• each of the plurality of photovoltaic modules includes at least one edge connector;
• and
• the edge connector includes an RFID chip embedded in the edge connector;
• wherein:
• the RFID chip includes a monitoring circuit and a radio-frequency antenna;
• the monitoring circuit is configured to measure one or more parameters of a photovoltaic module, the one or more parameters including a module current flowing through the photovoltaic module, a module voltage across the photovoltaic module, and a module temperature of the photovoltaic module;
• and
• the radio-frequency antenna is configured to transmit one or more measurement results of the one or more measured parameters.