Hi,
i’m working on a project using a solar panel cell. I would like to use this card to create a data logger able to save the voltage and the intensity of the cell to assume the power amount that a solar panel could get during the day.
It would be just for measuring a voltage and an intensity.
Do you think it is doable ? How can we do that using this card ? Do I just need to connect the solar cell on the card ?
thanks !
Look at test code provided for stalkerv2, it includes the possibility to read the battery status and even the input voltage. This may be a good point to start!
@ Adrien33 - interesting project indeed. I am thinking about the same - to create data logger for up to 3 solar panels.
Device should monitor power gained from the sun and log into a SD card along with the date. Then I could import log file into excell and process it.
At present I have whole electric part - so calibrated resistor bridges etc.
I will start to get into programming stalker right now but since I am complete illiterate in Arduino/ micorcontroller stuff It will take me a lot of time to present something what is worth.
Anyway Ill take example from stalker Wiki (Stlker logger AM06 Serial.zip) and will start to extend/modify it.
Apart of solar power You should also measure temperature because solar cells output depends also on its temperature (the higher the smaller power)
Best regards,
Piotr
Hello Piotr,
Thanks for your answer, apparently we are working on the same kind of project.
The thing is I don’t really know how to measure the power and more particularly the tension because it is always flowing.
So maybe I’ll use a light sensor and then after, convert lux into watt.
Can you share your electric schematic ?
Thank you !
Adrien
Hi Adrien!
Yes, You are right. Measuring solar power from cells are quite challange.
First, solar cell power depends on type of a load, hence the MPPT chargers idea. Secondly it also depend on temperature. (I am speaking just at electrical characteristics. I skip the physical placement of the cells to the sun.)
At the beggining I ve assumed that Ill use resistive load. This simplicity approach have many drawbacks but for now I just want to make on step done. Ill share my wiring diagram but please give me few days (hopefully this weekend) as I need to wrap it up and actually draw it on a paper (or in computer) because I didnt do this until now…
Kind regards and I am happy we could do this together somehow.
Piotr