Design and implementation of a photovoltaic I-V curve tracer: Solar modules characterization under real operating conditions

The performance of a photovoltaic (PV) module depends on real operating conditions such as solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and wind speed, in addition to solar module technologies. To characterize a PV module under these conditions, the measure of the entire current-voltage (I-V) curve in short time requires a suitable data acquisition device. This paper outlines the features of a low-cost acquisition device to characterize a PV module under real operating conditions. It is based on a set of MOSFET IRF540N, and load resistances, an Arduino board, and sensors of current and voltage with high resolution and sampling rate. This system permits to sweep the entire I-V curve by taking a current-voltage point (I, V) within one msec. The effects of operating temperature and solar irradiance on the module performance are investigated. The physical parameters of the module have been extracted by two methods using three solar cell models. The temperature correction coefficients for current, voltage, and efficiency are calculated. The results show a good agreement with those found in the literature.