Low-cost data logging device to measure irradiance based on a Peltier cell and artificial neural networks

Abstract

The measurement of solar irradiance is one of the most important variables for ensuring working conditions at maximum power (MPPT) in a photovoltaic system (PV). In this work, a pyranometer is constructed to measure solar irradiance using a Peltier cell as a thermoelectric generator (TEG), an absolute temperature sensor and a feedforward neural network. The instrument is a low-cost data logger that runs on 3 AAA batteries, has an autonomy of up to 1 year and can record up to 65 000 irradiation data points at programmable time intervals.