Investigation on the Use of Photovoltaic Cells Based Devices for Pace of Growth Forecasts and Estimates of Crop Production

Abstract

The paper aimed to present the investigation of the use of photovoltaic cells based devices for solar light measurements and analysis in order to forecast the pace of growth of plants and to estimate the appropriate timing of harvest culture. It is based on the continuous data measurements by a microcontroller based circuitry of a solar module used for supplying a multi-functional wireless sensor for agriculture. The solar module consists of two monocrystalline solar cells (c-Si) flat design, highly transparent and having UV stable front encapsulation. The data is not only a simple day and night information, but a measurement of the solar radiation. The device is able to measure the environment temperature as well, therefore the data is useful for evaluation of the photoperiodism, but the correlation between solar radiation and temperature is also possible. The data is transmitted to a host controller able to store and process higher volume information. As a conclusion, the research seeks to provide a low-cost solution for small and medium size farms based on the very solar cells used to supply low-power consumption electronic modules of the wireless network sensors for an optimal recovery of production depending on the type of culture.