LabVIEW Interface for Controlling a Test Bench for Photovoltaic Modules and Extraction of Various Parameters

International audienceNumerical simulation using mathematical models that take into account physical phenomena governing the operation of solar cells is a powerful tool to predict the energy production of photovoltaic modules prior to installation in a given site. These models require some parameters that manufacturers do not generally give. In addition, the availability of a tool for the control and the monitoring of performances of PV modules is of great importance for researchers, manufacturers and distributors of PV solutions. In this paper, a test and characterization protocol of PV modules is presented. It consists of an outdoor computer controlled test bench using a LabVIEW graphical interface. In addition to the measuring of the IV characteristics, it provides all the parameters of PV modules with the possibility to display and print a detailed report for each test. After the presentation of the test bench and the developed graphical interface, the obtained results based on an experimental example are presented. 1. INTRODUCTION Industrial development and technological progress in several areas such as communication and transport is accompanied by enormous energy needs. Much of this energy is produced from fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas coal or nuclear. However, fossil energy production is highly polluting because it generates emissions of greenhouse gases and nuclear waste product requires very expensive treatments [1]. Renewable energies in general and solar photovoltaic (PV) in particular are therefore a good alternative to ensure sustainability in the global energy production with environmental protection because it is a renewable and a non-polluting energy source. A solar PV source has long been limited to autonomous un-grid-connected applications in remote rural sites as desert lands or mountains or for nomad applications. But in the last decades, solar PV has entered into settlements with the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) and technology of photovoltaic grid-connected systems. This has significantly increased the demand for PV modules and thus made this highly profitable market. Consequently, this phenomenon drived by the emergence of new applications of PV panels and systems, their large diffusion and a decrease of their price, has led to a large growth of the number of actors in this field, namely researchers, manufacturers and distributors. All these actors need control and test tools for PV modules on the market but also computational tools to predict the production and th