Development of communication to control photovoltaic system in a microgrid by using Programmable Automation Controller, Raspberry-Pi and open-source software

The microgrids control operates on hierarchical levels, one internal to the devices and one between devices that develops through a communication network. The development and implementation of this network for monitoring and control presents some difficulties regarding the adequacy between hardware and communication protocols. This is because the components and devices that make the microgrid can be from different manufacturers that have their own hardware and communication protocols. Therefore, this article focused on the implementation of a communication solution for devices working with a Programmable Automation Controller (PAC). The study and development of low-cost hardware (Raspberry-Pi) and software (Node-Red and InfluxDB) were part of the objectives. By using these open-source software, it was possible to propose solutions for integrating non-standardized communication devices. This solution was implemented in a microgrid at the Federal University of Maranhão, Brazil, and proved to be efficient for monitoring, control, storage and data processing applications.