Arduino Uno PV Solar Panel Monitor

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi All

Been given my project for this year and it is to create a realtime energy monitor using the arduino uno.

The arduino needs to monitor the output from two pv panels which are only used to charge batteries. It has to be non-invasive and show the information on a display. The idea of this project is to give information on whether the solar panels are carbon neutral.

Im not sure where to start. Initial ideas are to use clamp meters on the output of the panels.

Any help will be much appreciated

Cheers

Tom

2

Note that the solar panel current is DC, so you have to use a special form of "clamp meter" transducer.

And the "non-invasive" bit is already inappropriate as you have to measure the PV voltage anyway.

You may (will) need to actually connect something, but if you are only seeking electrical isolation, something like this will be appropriate for current.

3

Traditional clamp meters measure only AC current. There are however Hall-effect based current sensor that measure DC as well.

Voltage would be easy to measure. Since its DC and quite steady state power and energy calculations would be relatively easy as well.

4

Yea trying to find hall effect current sensors off of the only supplier were allowed to use which is RS components.

Guessing this sensor is the first step of the project

Thanks for your replies

5

Does "non-invasive" rule out inserting a shunt resistor in the circuit to measure current?

If so that seems to be a strange restriction of an energy monitoring project.

...R

6

there are converters IC with 10 amp DC/AC, they convert to 0 /5 volts. cheap and easy.
one remark is the voltage on these panels can be as high as 600 volts as they are in series so be carefull.

7

shooter:
there are converters IC with 10 amp DC/AC, they convert to 0 /5 volts. cheap and easy.

As I cited above. 5 Amp, 10 Amp, 20 Amp, 30 Amp ...

8

Thanks for your replies.

Still waiting for arduino and components to turn up so still trying to work out theoretical solutions.

Im hoping that there is a posibility to put in a shunt resistor to help measurements, however still not sure at this stage so will update when possible.

Cheers

Tom