Norwegian version of this page

Disputation: Åsmund Skomedal

M.sc. Åsmund Skomedal by the Department of Technology Systems will be defending his thesis: 

Data-based approaches to efficient operation and maintenance of PV systems

for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor.

Image may contain: Person, Forehead, Nose, Cheek, Smile.

The PhD defence will be fully digital and streamed directly using Zoom. The host of the session will moderate the technicalities while the chair of the defence will moderate the disputation.

Ex auditorio questions: the chair of the defence will invite the audience to ask ex auditorio questions either written or oral. This can be requested by clicking 'Participants -> Raise hand'.

Attend the disputation

Download Zoom

Request the thesis.

Trial lecture

The growth of solar energy and its role in the clean energy transition

Main research findings

Solar power is the fastest growing energy source on the planet. If we are to avoid dangerous global warming, we need to continue building solar power at an accelerating pace. In modern, large-scale solar power plants, vast amounts of data are being logged and stored. These data have the potential to be of great value; to make solar plants more efficient and solar power cheaper. But to uncover the hidden structures in the data and transform them into useful information, advanced digital and statistical tools are needed. In my thesis, I propose data-driven methods that provide decision support and make the operation and maintenance of solar power systems more cost-efficient. One of the methods I propose helps map out energy losses due to dust and dirt on the solar panels, as well as the rate at which the solar panels degrade over time. Another method helps detect failures in the solar panels, allowing the operators to make timely and appropriate maintenance actions. By uncovering the information hidden in the data, the methods proposed in this thesis will help solar power becoming the cheap and reliable energy source we will need it to be.

For more information

Ida Elisabeth Rydning, i.e.rydning@its.uio.no 

Technician, Arild Hemstad, arild.hemstad@its.uio.no
 

Published Apr. 9, 2021 11:16 AM - Last modified Apr. 9, 2021 11:16 AM