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GWatPE

Senior Member

Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127

Posted: 08:30am 09 Dec 2010

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I have been monitoring an Outback Solar MPPT and have been observing strange MPPT behaviour. I have just tested an Incident Solar Radiation sensor I have made from a solar cell I had on hand. I am hoping to compare the performance of the MPPT against the incident sensor, similar to how a windmill performance is compared to the windspeed indicated by an anemometer sensor. The output of the sensor appears to have a very linear current output, proportional to incident solr radiation, so some decent logging is probable. I will be using a 0-5V hall effect current sensor, to avoid lead effects, so I can sense directly to the logger input.

I will be mounting the solar cell behind a thin glass window on top of a PVC pipe.

I have also found that at 4:00pm the sensor gave 1A output when place horizontally, but gave 1.46A when optimized for a maximum. This confirms with the maths,and confirms the linearity of the sensor to within experimental error.

We tend to accept the operation of GTI and other solar power MPPT equipment as working correctly. I hope to compare my own GTI solar system to see how it compares to the incident energy. I do have solar measurement on my weather station, but this is not connected to my power logging system. The new sensor will allow direct comparison of amps v solar, and not require manipulation of data with a spreadsheet.

Gordon.

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Homegrow47
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Joined: 17/08/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 31

Posted: 10:27pm 10 Dec 2010

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GWatPE said I have been monitoring an Outback Solar MPPT and have been observing strange MPPT behaviour. I have just tested an Incident Solar Radiation sensor I have made from a solar cell I had on hand. ...
The new sensor will allow direct comparison of amps v solar, and not require manipulation of data with a spreadsheet.

Should be a good way to check solar PV performance.
Just wondering if there might ever develop a temperature difference between the PV cells and sensor cell.
Because of the different frame enclosure.
This could affect the outputs.

KarlJ

Guru

Joined: 19/05/2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 1178

Posted: 08:42am 11 Dec 2010

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Make sure you throw in some silica gel
our commercially available one is a terrible design and needs
a new silica gel thing all the time or condensation builds up inside
and drips onto the cell, not to mention accuracy going out the window

Luck favours the well prepared

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