On-grid photovoltaic system power monitoring based on open source and low-cost internet of things platform

Abstract

There is a lot of research that proposed PV monitoring systems based on the low-cost IoT technology. However, there is a lack of implementations in the On-grid PV systems. This research aims to fill this gap, by proposing a novel design of On-grid PV system power monitoring. The design utilizes a CT sensor, NodeMCU, MQTT, Node-RED, and Raspberry Pi. The hardware cost is affordable. SQLite is introduced to reduce the database complexity. A trial has been accomplished through a case study of 3.6 kWp On-grid PV system. The designed dashboard consists of two pages. The first page displays summary information, and the second page serves access to the historical data. Based on the test, the current readings accuracy is acceptable. The proposed design is applicable to residential On-grid PV systems in urban areas. This research may become a potential support for the public awareness of renewable energy, especially in the developing country, where financing becomes a key challenge.