Author Login IJIRT Partner Network (IPN) Login

EcoCharge – “Smart 1kW MPPT Solar Controller”

  • Unique Paper ID: 171854
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 8
  • PageNo: 1197-1204
  • Abstract:
  • The increasing need for cleaner forms of energy, mainly solar energy, calls for special efforts to design energy harvesting and management systems that are effective and cheap. The present work is thus compelled to report the construction and operative testing of Eco Charge– a 1kW MPP tracking solar charger controller based on Arduino and ESP32 for wireless networking and online monitoring. It also utilizes the P&O algorithm for MPPT to achieve maximum efficiency in the photovoltaic power conversion operating at different environmental variations whenever required. The main feature of Eco Charge which enhances the usability is the use of ESP32 which allows the user to monitor and operate the system using the internet. This is increasingly becoming a necessity for solar energy applications as it enables end users to view system operational status, energy generated, and environmental conditions from anywhere across the globe over the internet. In addition, the charge controller is also designed to be less expensive compared to the existing industrial MPPT charge controllers by applying the concepts of hardware and software open source, hence encouraging usage of solar systems on individual discrete or small scale. The hardware construction of Eco Charge consists of an Arduino microcontroller as the CPU, which is interfaced with a series of voltage and current sensor arrays that are constantly updated with the output of the solar panel and the battery status. The site-specific Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology uses such information to manipulate the duty cycle of a buck-boost converter, maximizing the solar panels’ output power on the load connected. The electrical products in this engineering project, especially the development board Arduino, have been selected due to its low price, simple execution and a large number of additional libraries and peripheral devices. Furthermore, with the integration of the ESP32 module into the system, it enables the users to utilize wi-fi communication, thereby improving the functionality of the system and easily integrating it into IOT systems. Use of the online based controls allows users to manage the system from any part and so improves the performance of energy consumption in the system. From the experimental findings, it can be observed that the energy harvesting efficiency of the solar cells was considerably increased as compared to conventional charge controllers that do not have MPPT included in them. In a series of tests conducted by Eco Charge, an improvement of up to 20% in power was registered depending on temperature effects and other characteristics of a solar panel. Additionally, the system could still stay operational amidst variations. Apart from energy saving, Eco Charge offers users high value wireless monitoring, which provides them with information about the trends in energy generation and other appropriate system failures like low battery or malfunctioning sensors. Such integrated IoT surveillance features are beneficial for the solar energy applications as they permit a longer outlook on the installed systems especially in rural or off grid conditions where routine repair works would be difficult. All in all, it is noteworthy that Solar Charge offers the client an adequate, flexible and modern solution for the management of solar power generation. The novel fusion of MPPT contenders with IoT observant features leads to rejection of closed source design of solar chargers, making startups and individuals reliant on alternative energy sources.
Download article email to a friend

Cite This Article

  • ISSN: 2349-6002
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 8
  • PageNo: 1197-1204

EcoCharge – “Smart 1kW MPPT Solar Controller”

Related Articles

Impact Factor
8.01 (Year 2024)
UGC Approved
Journal no 47859

Join Our IPN

IJIRT Partner Network

Submit your research paper and those of your network (friends, colleagues, or peers) through your IPN account, and receive 800 INR for each paper that gets published.

Join Now

Latest Publication

Archive

View More

Recent Conferences

NCSEM 2024

National Conference on Sustainable Engineering and Management - 2024 Last Date: 15th March 2024

Submit inquiry