Remote photovoltaic outdoor solar lab

Abstract

This paper presents a photovoltaic (PV) lab with the following key characteristics: (i) it is remote controllable, (ii) it is designed for outdoor use and (iii) it is a low cost solution. In fact, incorporating Internet and remote labs into the practical work setting makes student learning experiences more dynamic, interactive, and interesting. In addition, as the experimentation system operates under real weather conditions, students can move from theory to practice and become capable of assessing the real PV performances, comparing them to those supplied by the manufacturer and evaluating a panel’s performance under real environmental conditions. Finally the low cost solution makes the series of very valuable PV-experiments that are presented in this paper everywhere easily available.