Web-based experiment for teaching the electrical characteristics of a solar cell and module

Abstract

© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. In this paper, an experiment involving a solar module consisting of serially connected solar cells remotely controlled by a web application is presented. The described experiment is fully automated and is accessed and controlled remotely using a web-based user interface; a new generation of inexpensive SBC (single-board computer) devices; flat, light LED sources; and some electronic components. Basically, the experiment consists of a solar module illuminated by a flat LED light source and a programmed electronic variable resistor, which enables collecting the solar module current-voltage (I–V) characteristics. We found that remote access to lab equipment and experiments has many advantages over traditional scheduled supervised access because it provides a safe virtual environment for work and experimentation using real equipment. Promoting interest in solar cells by introducing students at an early stage of their undergraduate curriculum to the basics (fundamentals) of photovoltaic devices is beneficial in many aspects.