NI LabVIEW-Based Solar Power Recording Device for Optimizing PV Modules with Fixed Orientation and Tilt to Capture Maximum Solar Irradiance with Respect to Magnetic Declination

摘要

The sun is earth's greatest source of energy and the most common method of capturing its energy is through photovoltaic (PV) panels, or more commonly known as solar panels. Several factors affect the amount of energy harnessed by currently installed solar panels. However, a common problem in maximizing solar energy harnessing is improper tilting of solar panels which contributes to at most 13% loss to the PV system's efficiency. A device which will measure the amount of power harnessed by the solar panels will be a great help to identify the optimum angle of tilt to yield maximum solar energy at a residential area in Taguig City, Philippines, a city which is shifting to solar energy as an alternative resource. The researchers constructed a recording device which records the power of three 1.3W solar panels tilted differently with each other, and logs the data using NI MyRIO. The device is also self-sufficient which utilizes a 30W solar panel to charge a 12V battery which powers the NI MyRIO. With six days of testing for the month of September, data shows that the device has an error rating of 0.36%, efficiency of 50.83%, and a fair portability rating from solar panel installers and future researchers. Data also shows that the optimum angle for the month of August is 7.0875° with respect to azimuth.