Smart Solar Energy Management to Power Computer

Smart Solar Energy Lab in Rural Areas to Power

Management
Neeraj Kumar GuptaComputer
Aditya KumarLab
Singh in Rural Areas Kirti Pal
Ashish D. Thombre
Dept. of Electrical and Dept. of Electrical and Dept. of Electrical and Dept. of Electrical and
Electronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering, 2 Electronics Engineering, Electronics
4 Engineering,
Neeraj Kumar Gupta
KIET Group of Institutions, KIET
1
, Aditya
Group of
Kumar Singh KIET
Institutions,
, Ashish D.ofThombre
Group
3
and Kirti Pal
Institutions, KIET Group of
Ghaziabad, India.
1,2,3,4
Dept. of Electrical
Ghaziabad, India and Electronics Engineering,
Ghaziabad, India. Institutions,
KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad, India
E-mail: E-mail: E-mail: Ghaziabad, India.
neeraj.gupta@kiet.edu E-mail: neeraj.gupta@kiet.edu, 2aadityasingh2505@gmail.com,
1
aadityasingh2505@gmail.com ashish.thombre@kiet.edu E-mail: kirti.pal@kiet.edu
3
ashish.thombre@kiet.edu, 4kirti.pal@kiet.edu

Abstract—An isolated solar PV system is a reliable solution to done by Wi-Fi based IoT system that can be accessed from
providing electricity in rural and remote locations. Such systems anywhere. In this paper, the development and performance of
require an array of PV panels, charge controllers, battery bank to this PV system is presented for the month of August, 2018. Our
compensate the supply & demand mismatch. The paper presents aim is to promote the use of stand-alone solar PV system in
an evaluation of stand-alone photovoltaics (PV) system installed on remote areas to supply power to laboratories in rural areas &
the roof of EN Dept. building, KIET Group of Institutions, remote locations. The project has a wide scope for the future
Ghaziabad. The experimental data was recorded for month of also. We aim to develop intelligent methods for performance
August 2018 through IoT. This project aims to encourage the use analysis and forecasting using Fuzzy logic and Adaptive neuro-
of small stand-alone solar PV system to supply power to
fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) [6-9].
laboratories in rural areas & remote locations. In this project we
also develop a cost-effective energy management solution for data
logging & monitoring is done by Wi-Fi based Internet of things
(IoT) system that can be accessed from anywhere. II. SYSTEM COMPONENTS
The main components of the developed stand-alone SPV
Keywords- Solar energy; photovoltaic; energy management; IoT.
system include an array of PV panels, mounting frames, Battery
I. INTRODUCTION Bank (Energy storing device), PWM Charge controller, Inverter
and Load. Since this project also aims to develop a cost-effective
Electricity plays a crucial role in the development of the solution for data logging & smart energy management for the
society. It is a fundamental part of our life and one can’t think of solar power plants of small capacity, we have utilized an
a world without electricity. Yet, over 1 billion people in the Arduino based data logging circuit and IoT based system for data
world do not have access to electricity. Of this, over 95% live in fetching and real-time monitoring.
developing countries and over 84% reside in rural areas [1]. At
the same time, we face the issue of depleting reserves &
increasing cost of fossil fuels. Additionally, there is special focus
on the major problem of Global Warming and pollution. These
issues prompt us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels as the
primary source of energy. Due to this, the need of the hour is to
develop and utilize renewable resources like solar, wind,
geothermal, bioenergy& many more. Amongst these, solar
energy is the one with the most potential.The approximate
emission power from the sun is 1.8 x 1011 MW [2].
Since India is geographically located in the sunny belt, it
receives 300 days of sun light. As per NIWE estimates, India has
a solar energy potential of 750 GW [3]. India almost receive 4-7
kWh of solar radiation per sq. meters [4]. Under the National
Solar Mission, India has plan to built large grid connected solar Figure 1. Block diagram of an isolated solar PV system.
power plants, with a cumulative installed capacity of 20,000
MW by 2020 [5].
In this paper, installation of a 4 kW solar PV system on the A. Photovoltaic (PV) Panels
roof-top of KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad is described
Small solar cells are usually bundled together to make larger
which is used to supply power to the computer lab of Hobby club
units, often called as solar modules. These modules are then
in EN Department. The performance of this Photovoltaics (PV)
connected into even bigger units called Solar Panels or PV
system is assessed on daily basis. Data logging & monitoring is
Panels.
This project is sponsored by AKTU, Lucknow.

978-1-5386-6472-8/18/$31.00 ©2018 IEEE

 Smart Solar Energy Management to Power Computer Lab in Rural Areas  77
Each solar cell generates a few volts, hence a solar panel
combines the power produced by many cells into a net useful
amount of electric current and voltage. Today, most of the solar
cells are made from slices of silicon. The type used in this project
is made up of mono crystalline silicon, as shown in Figure 2.
Each panel is rated to deliver 200W in ideal conditions
(1000W/m2 solar irradiance & 25°C temperature).
B. Inclined Mount
Fixed mounting frame are used to support and hold the solar
panel. The frame which holds the solar panel is inclined in order
to absorb maximum solar insolation from the sun [10]. The
inclination also allows quick run off of water during the rainy
season.
Figure 2. Array of PV Panels
C. Battery Bank
A stand-alone SPV system needs & must have an energy
storage system so that the electricity is available throughout the
night or dark weather conditions. The solar PV panels supply
the battery bank during daylight hours and the battery bank
supplies the power when needed. The battery bank utilized in
this project is comprises of 12V, 100 Ah lead-acid type
batteries. They operate in parallel with the load and charging
sources (PV panel).
Figure 3. DC-DC Charge Controller
D. Charge Controller
DC-DC charge controllers can be classified into two types;
series controllers and shunt controllers [11]. When the
MOSFET is connected in series with the Solar
photovoltaicpanels and the battery bank, the charge regulator is
called Series Type. When it is connected in parallel across the
photovoltaic panels & the battery bank, it is called Shunt Type.
For small loads, a shunt regulator is used and for heavier loads,
the series regulator is utilized. In this, the battery bank is
disconnected from the source by means of a series regulator
through a switch (relay or MOSFET etc.). In our study, we have
utilized a series regulator, as shown in Figure 3. Using a charge
controller helps in making sure that the battery bank is avoids
over charging or deep under charging [12].
E. Inverter
Push-Pull Inverter is an electronic device which converts the
D.C. supply into single-phase A.C. supply which then power
the A.C. load. The inverter efficiency is usually between 90%
to 95% due to conversion losses. In this project, two separate 2
kW inverters were used to convert the D.C. supply from PV
panels stored in battery to A.C. output. Figure 4 show the
connections of Push Pull Inverter.
Figure 4. Push-Pull Inverter
F. Data logging
It is important to measure and log various parameters like
voltage & current to operate stable PV power supply. But, at
remote locations,monitoring real-time parameters can be a
cumbersome process.
The different parameters are measured with the help of
sensors and the measured data is then transmitted to a Thing
Speak channel for logging and real-time monitoring through Wi-
Fi. Figure 5 shows the Wi-Fi Module and the 8-Channel relay.
78  Innovative Applications of Computational Intelligence on Power, Energy and Control with their Impact on Humanity (CIPECH-2018)

VSOLAR ISOLAR VBATTERY IBATTERY VINVERTER IINVERTER

NodeMCU 1.0

8 Channel Relay
(2 channels not used)

IoT ThingSpeak
Wi-Fi Module (Real-Time
Wi- Data
Fi Monitoring)

Figure 6. Block Diagram for data logging.

Figure 5. Wi-Fi Module (NodeMCU 1.0)

III. METHODOLOGY
The basic block diagram of stand-alone solar PV system is
explained in figure1. Firstly the solar panels are mounted on the
top roof of building. Each panel is rated 200 Watts and 22 Volts
open circuit voltage (Seemac Photovoltaics Pvt. Make) and 20
of these panels are connected in an array to deliver 24 Volts
when loaded. This is achieved by connecting two sets of 5
panels (connected parallel) in series. Thus, 2 networks of these
PV panels are created, utilizing all 20 panels and reaching the
proposed 4 kW load capacity. These 2 networks are then
connected to two separate sets of charge controllers (each rated
24 V and 40 Amp), battery bank (each battery rated 12V and
100Ah) and inverter circuit (rated 2KVA). To create a battery
bank for both systems, two batteries are connected in series to
provide 24 Volts operation of the charge controller.
The next objective is to develop a cost-friendly solution for
measurement, logging and monitoring various parameters of the
solar power system. This process begins with the measurement
of current and voltage. The Allegro® ACS712 Hall Effect-
Based Current Sensor is used to measure current data from the
solar panels, battery bank and inverter output. Voltage is
measured using voltage divider concept.
The collected data is fetched by an 8-Channel relay which
then sends the data to NodeMCU 1.0 IoT Platform which runs
on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC (System on Chip). This wi-fi
module uploads the data to a Thing Speak channel and can be
accessed anywhere around the world. Figure 7 shows the Flow
Chart for the data fetching process. A Wi-Fi with internet
connectivity is a must for data logging, as absence of internet
will result in the module not being able to upload the data to the Figure 7. Flow Chart for Data fetching & logging
ThingSpeak channel.
 Smart Solar Energy Management to Power Computer Lab in Rural Areas  79

IV. TESTING AND EXPERIMENTATION

In initial tests, a small load profile of 25% of total capacity PV Panel Voltage (Solar)
was used as a trial run for the system. Once the sensor readings 50
were accurately calibrated, full load profile was used. The full

Voltage (Volts)
load profile was made to run for 8 hours a day during whole 40
month August. Total load connected to the solar PV system is 30
shown in Table I. 20
10
0
TABLE I. LIST OF LOAD POWERED

6:00:54 AM
6:42:41 AM
7:27:45 AM
8:12:57 AM
8:53:23 AM
9:39:46 AM
10:26:13 AM
11:12:38 AM
11:51:59 AM
12:38:25 PM
1:24:47 PM
2:01:50 PM
2:48:18 PM
3:34:42 PM
4:21:10 PM
5:07:36 PM
5:54:01 PM
List of load

S. No. Power
Equipment Quantity Rating
(Watts)
Figure 8. Voltage across Solar Panel.
1 Desktop Computer 15 150

2 Peripherals 15 50

3 Printer 1 80

4 Fan 4 50
Output Power (kW)
5 LED Light 5 20 4.5
4
Total Load 3380 3.5
Power (kW)

3
2.5
2
1.5
The collected data is uploaded to the ThingSpeak Channel. 1
The channel records the data of voltage, current and power 0.5
0
output of inverters for each and every minute. The power output
6:00:54 AM
6:42:41 AM
7:27:45 AM
8:12:57 AM
8:53:23 AM
9:39:46 AM
10:26:13 AM
11:12:38 AM
11:51:59 AM
12:38:25 PM
1:24:47 PM
2:01:50 PM
2:48:18 PM
3:34:42 PM
4:21:10 PM
5:07:36 PM
5:54:01 PM
varies with the solar insolation and the ambient temperature. A
typical day result is shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 shows the
effect of irradiation on power output of the system. Figure 9
shows the power output of inverter from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
During 10 am to 3 pm, we get maximum output. As the solar Time
irradiation reduces after 4 pm, the power output is also reduces.
Figure 9. Inverter Power Output

Average Power (kW)

3
2.5
Power (kW)

2
1.5
1
0.5
0
8/1/2018
8/2/2018
8/3/2018
8/4/2018
8/5/2018
8/6/2018
8/7/2018
8/8/2018
8/9/2018
8/10/2018
8/11/2018
8/12/2018
8/13/2018
8/14/2018
8/15/2018
8/16/2018
8/17/2018
8/18/2018
8/19/2018
8/20/2018
8/21/2018
8/22/2018
8/23/2018
8/24/2018
8/25/2018
8/26/2018
8/27/2018
8/28/2018
8/29/2018
8/30/2018
8/31/2018

Figure 10. Average Power generated (from 6 am to 6 pm) during August, 2018.
 Similarly, for the same day Plot 1 shows the solar PV panel This work was funded by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical
voltage from 6:00am to 6:00 pm. As the solar irradiation University (AKTU), Lucknow under the Visvesvaraya Research
increases solar PV voltage increases and we get almost Promotion Scheme (AKTU Reference- Dr. APJAKTU/Dean-
80  Innovative Applications of Computational Intelligence on Power, Energy and Control with their Impact on Humanity (CIPECH-2018)
maximum output voltage from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. As the solar PGSR/2017/4092).
irradiation decreases after 4:00pm power output and voltage
Similarly,
both for the same day Plot 1 shows the solar PV panel
are decreases. This work was funded R byEFERENCES
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical
voltage from 6:00am to 6:00 pm. As the solar irradiation University (AKTU), Lucknow under the Visvesvaraya Research
The monthly
increases solar PV totalvoltage
average increases
power generated
and weperget dayalmost
by the Promotion Scheme (AKTU Reference- Dr. APJAKTU/Dean-
[1] Energy Access Database, International Energy Agency
PV systemoutput
maximum over the monitored
voltage from 9:00period
amoftoone4:00month
pm. As is the
shownsolarin PGSR/2017/4092).
Figure 10. decreases
irradiation The average afterpower
4:00pmvaried
powerfromoutput
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2.8 kW. [2] REN21, Renewables 2013: Global Status Report, 2013.
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solar system has been in operation to run the computer lab of Guinjoan: [8] Ping-Huan“FuzzyKuoLogic-Based
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Management SystemApplication
Design forin
Energy Management
Residential Grid-Connected Systems by an Artificial Intelligence-Based Solar
Microgrids”
hobby club of EN Department. Initial testing of this project was
V. CONCLUSION Radiation Forecasting Model”.
successfully
The stand-alone solar poweredofsystem
performed for month Augustproposed
2018. Thefor data4kW
was [7] C. Chen, S. Duan, T. Cai, B. Liu, G. Hu: “Smart energy management system
[9]optimal
for Laith microgrid
M. Halabi, Saad operation”.
economic Mekhilef, Monowar Hossain: “Performance
monitored
loads through IoT
was successfully based and
designed energy management
installed. The standsystemalone evaluation of hybrid adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system models for
whichsystem
solar measured
has been andin logged
operationvarious
to run the voltage
computer & current
lab of predicting
[8] Ping-Huanmonthly
Kuo global solar radiation”.
and Chiou-Jye Huang, “Green Energy Application in
parameters accurately. Data collected through
hobby club of EN Department. Initial testing of this project IoT is storedwas for Energy
[10]
Management Systems by an Artificial Intelligence-Based Solar
Orientation and Positioning of the Solar Modules
Radiation Forecasting Model”.
evaluating the
successfully long term
performed foroperational
month of Augustbenefits of the
2018. Theplant
databased
was [11]Laith
IshtiakM.A. Halabi,
K., AbidSaadA. S.,Mekhilef,
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“Design of A
on the net through
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IoT based energysufficient data is collected
management system
[9]
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evaluation of Controller for a 100WP
hybrid adaptive Solar PV
neuro-fuzzy System” system
inference International Journal
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the datameasured
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train thevarious
ANN tovoltage predict&thecurrent
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Ishtiak A. K., Abid 08.08.12.
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on the net energy output. Once the sufficient data is collected
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[12] Vince Lombardi, ed. “A Practical Guide to Solar Power System Design for
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
r PV panel This work was funded by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical
irradiation University (AKTU), Lucknow under the Visvesvaraya Research
get almost Promotion Scheme (AKTU Reference- Dr. APJAKTU/Dean-
As the solar PGSR/2017/4092).
nd voltage
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day by the
[1] Energy Access Database, International Energy Agency
s shown in
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to 6:00 pm [3] Annual Report (2017-18), MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable
ugust were Energy), India.
mber of sun [4] Sudhakar, K., Srivastava, T., Satpathy, G., Premalatha, M., 2013. Modelling
e monthly and estimation of photosynthetically active incident radiation based on global
generated irradiance in Indian latitudes. Int. J. Energy Environ. Eng. 4 (21), 2–8.
e computer [5] Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Solar energy in India, February
12, 2014.
[6] Diego Arcos-Aviles, Julio Pascual, Luis Marroyo, Pablo Sanchis, Francesc
Guinjoan: “Fuzzy Logic-Based Energy Management System Design for
Residential Grid-Connected Microgrids”

d for 4kW [7] C. Chen, S. Duan, T. Cai, B. Liu, G. Hu: “Smart energy management system
for optimal microgrid economic operation”.
tand alone
uter lab of [8] Ping-Huan Kuo and Chiou-Jye Huang, “Green Energy Application in
Energy Management Systems by an Artificial Intelligence-Based Solar
project was Radiation Forecasting Model”.
he data was
[9] Laith M. Halabi, Saad Mekhilef, Monowar Hossain: “Performance
nt system evaluation of hybrid adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system models for
& current predicting monthly global solar radiation”.
s stored for [10] Orientation and Positioning of the Solar Modules