A case study: Validating a LabVIEW simulation models presentation of fundamental principles in emerging renewable energy systems

LabVIEW has the advantage of being able to customize a graphical user interface to produce visual results at different stages, performing signal acquisition and processing of several stages simultaneously. It has become an integral part of many laboratories as academics seek new ways to help fuse theory and practice. The purpose of this paper is to validate the results obtained from a developed LabVIEW simulation model by comparing its results of a specific case study to those obtained from HOMER. HOMER software was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to assist engineers in the design of micro-power systems and makes extensive use of environmental parameters specific to a given location. The LabVIEW simulation model was developed to demonstrate fundamental principles of an energy generation system, with specific reference to a standalone PV system, where energy flow, efficiency and storage are demonstrated. Correlating the results between the LabVIEW simulation model and HOMER reveals that both simulation packages propose a minimum array size of 10 kW for a specific case study. The LabVIEW simulation module can thus be used with confidence.