Design and Development of Low-Cost I-V Tracer Using IOT for Photovoltaic System

The I-V Curve Tracer is an instrument widely used to track the I-V plot of PV panels from short circuit current to open circuit voltage. The data collected provides comprehensive information regarding the operation of the panel. Most commercially available I-V Curve Tracers are very expensive and bulky. This paper describes the design of a cheap and lightweight I-V Tracer. A simple design is proposed, and the development of the hardware prototype is explained in detail, which uses capacitive charging techniques. Along with this, a custom algorithm is also developed for the controller to operate on. The results are also discussed. This paper serves as a useful reference for future research on the chosen topology and the built hardware, and also leads to future improvements in the design.