A flexible low-cost photovoltaic solar panel emulation platform

This paper introduces a new methodology to design a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel emulator. It draws on several analytical models of PV cells to accurately derive PV panel parameters which are not provided in the datasheet. These parameters are used to estimate the power and current curves for a given irradiance and temperature. A behavioral model is also implemented. PV cell degradation is integrated into the models for more flexibility in life-time and other reliability analyses. Also, partial shading is introduced into the models. The emulator is developed using standard LabVIEW software and libraries in conjunction with an off-the-shelf programmable power supply with no other peripheral hardware. A resistance tracking technique is then implemented to find the equivalent resistance of the panel in order to find the emulator output voltage. Experimental data is gathered to test the validity of the emulator results thus far and close correlation between the model and experimental results.