Solar power remote monitoring and controlling using Arduino, LabVIEW and web browser

Abstract

This paper proposes an effective and efficient graphical user interface (GUI) to real time control and monitor the DC power generated by solar panels and DC power consumed by load locally and remotely. There are two GUIs provided server and client. Server computer needs to be installed near to solar panels for monitoring and controlling locally while client GUI can be accessed by using a web browser from any part of world, authorize person can monitor and control all operations. Server and client GUI are designed by using LabVIEW and LabVIEW UI builder while hardware is developed with Arduino Uno, current and voltage sensors, relays and charge controller. Monitoring interface uses real time measurement results to prepare the power, current and voltage graphs, it is also possible to record and reach database file to analyze history of renewable energy source (RES) system. This will also help to increase performance of the existing solar system also other alternative resources of energy. In this system monitoring interface contains power production and consumption, voltage and current graphs and meters on a GUI. Controlling feature includes turn on/shutdown of solar system, increase or decrease energy consumption, generation and switching to other available system.