PV-Checker: Research on low cost PV-system-checker-devices for future application in the individual PV-system monitoring

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0273

Key words (English)

Irradiation sensor; energy metering; monitoring

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: JOR3-CT96-0112

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 5.1 Nonnuclear energies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (FHG-ISE); Joint Research Centre; ISPRA

Abstract (English)

The goal of this project is to analyse the need for monitoring PV system performance and to evaluate and develop a low cost monitoring device which allows PV system owner to verify whether his system is working as expected or not. The real reason behind the project is that PV system owners have difficulties in assessing if their PV system is operating satisfactory and producing the maximum potential energy. This is especially true when the system is grid connected. PV systems do not make noise, are placed in the sun and generate electricity which is fed into the grid. It would be very helpful for the owner of the system if a kind of on-off indication would give him guidance whether his PV system is o.k. or not.

The partners agreed to put the effort on the evaluation of a sophisticated algorithm for the PV-Checker. In this context a sensitivity analysis on the Matlab/Simulink tool has been carded out at Alpha Real. it pointed out that an improved accuracy on the insolation measuring side has the more accuracy for the PV-Checker than an improvement on the AC-energy measurement side.

The adaptive algorithm has been tested on stored databases from the German 1000 roof programs and showed promising results. Snow covering and shadow effects could be distinguished between each other. A prototype was not fabricated.

The project has been finalised by the end of the year.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0273