IoT based efficient solar panel monitoring

Abstract

The invention of smart grid has already outdated the conventional method of one way power productionsupply concept. While developed countries have already started to adopt smart meters, appliances and renewable energy sources; underdeveloped and developing countries are still facing power shortages every day. In the second Industrial Revolution, electricity was the main advancement and the recent Industrial Revolution 4.0 has pushed giant Production companies into the adoption and promotion of Renewable Energy sources. The integration of IoT and power systems has revolutionized the world in terms of power efficiency and real time monitoring. This paper discusses an experimental work done on how IoT can monitor the power/voltage and current production of a standalone renewable energy source i.e. a solar panel. This paper also discusses how to improve the solar panel efficiency by correcting the tilt angle of the solar panel. The monitoring of the solar panel is done via an inter-connected system using NodeMCU, Node-RED, Arduino and an MQTT channel. The monitoring of solar panels can be made easier by implementing the proposed work in a photovoltaic (PV) power plant. Moreover the monitoring of energy production will greatly enhance the health of the PV system. A 24% increase in the power output has been noticed after the correction of the tilt angle which was corrected using a solar tracker.