Real Time Monitoring and Analysis of String Faults in Solar Plant Using IoT

¹ Department of EEE, School of Engineering, Mohan Babu University, Tirupati, AP, India, connectbvst@gmail.com
² Department of ECE, Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Hyderabad, India, lakshmiprasanna447@gmail.com
³ Department of EEE, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Engineering College, Madagadipet, Puducherry, johnpowl@smvec.ac.in
⁴ Department of EEE, School of Engineering, Annamacharya University, Rajampet, AP, India.
⁵ Department of EEE, Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, charylbrce@gmail.com
⁶ Department of Research, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education & Research, Chennai, India, murugan.pmsm@gmail.com

^* Corresponding author: ammasreeram@gmail.com

Abstract

Monitoring solar power facilities closely is crucial for maximizing power output. This involves vigilant oversight to detect issues such as faulty connections, malfunctioning solar panels, and dust accumulation that hampers efficiency. To facilitate seamless integration with photovoltaic (PV) systems and pinpoint faults, this project unveils the hardware architecture of a smart grid home gateway. The proposed solution is an automated Internet of Things (IoT) based solar power monitoring system, allowing remote monitoring of solar power performance via the internet. Utilizing an Arduino-based system integrated with CT and Voltage sensors, the project measures and monitors various solar panel properties. Faults are identified by comparing the recorded voltage of the panels with the data from the Voltage sensor. The solution efficiently communicates power output to the IoT system over the internet, ensuring continuous monitoring of solar panel performance.