Overview
IEC TR 63292:2020 - Photovoltaic power systems (PVPSs) – Roadmap for robust reliability - is an IEC Technical Report that continues the work started in IEC TS 63019. It frames a roadmap for improving the reliability and availability of PV systems by describing reliability concepts, tools, metrics and procedures relevant across design and operational phases. The report is a precursor to a future Technical Specification and does not evaluate or endorse commercial reliability software or tools.
Key Topics
The report organizes practical reliability knowledge for PV system stakeholders and covers:
- RAM interrelationships - Reliability, Availability and Maintainability fundamentals and how they affect PV performance and energy yield.
- Dependability and stakeholder perspectives - Roles of owners, O&M teams, designers and financiers in reliability management.
- Reliability tools and techniques (described, not vendor-evaluated), including:
- Reliability Block Diagrams (RBD) and Monte Carlo simulations
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
- Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
- Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (FRACAS)
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Pareto and long-term trend analysis
- Critical item lists, data analysis and maintainability metrics
- Risk analysis and life-cycle cost considerations
- Data and metrics guidance - Recommendations for collecting failure data, trend analysis, and example metrics for monitoring PV health and availability.
- Practical recommendations and a reliability plan (informative annexes) to help implement reliability processes during both concept/design and O&M phases.
Applications
IEC TR 63292 is intended for practitioners who need to improve PV system resilience and optimize energy production:
- PV system designers and manufacturers - integrate reliability thinking into concept and design; use failure-mode insights to select components and test strategies.
- Asset owners and investors - assess reliability risk, forecast availability and plan lifecycle costs.
- O&M engineers and contractors - implement data acquisition, FRACAS, RCA and maintenance strategies to reduce downtime and improve availability.
- Reliability engineers and consultants - apply standardized reliability tools to PV-specific challenges and prepare reliability plans.
- Standards developers and policymakers - use the roadmap to inform future technical specifications and industry best practices.
Related Standards
- IEC TS 63019 - Availability for PV power systems (foundation referenced by IEC TR 63292)
- Prepared by IEC Technical Committee 82 (Solar photovoltaic energy systems)
This Technical Report is a practical resource for improving photovoltaic reliability, asset availability and long-term energy performance while guiding data-driven O&M and design decisions. Keywords: photovoltaic reliability, PV system availability, PV O&M, reliability tools, FRACAS, FMEA, RBD, RCA.