A smart solar PV monitoring system using internet of things (IoT)

This paper proposes the implementation of a Smart Solar PV Monitoring System that utilizes the Internet of Things (IoT) technology integrated with the Nodemcu microcontroller and the Blynk application for real-time data visualization. The system aims to evaluate the impact of dust and fly ash on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems performance. By integrating the monitoring system with the Blynk app, real-time monitoring, and analysis of the effects of dust on system efficiency becomes possible. Data for 18 days of operation on an experimental 5.5 W solar panel is collected and analyzed to establish a correlation between dust accumulation and the performance of solar PV systems. Experimental investigations were performed using artificial dust viz., fly ash and normal dust in the study duration in quantities of 2, 4 and 6 g. It was found that fly ash’s average efficiency loss is 49.16%, and for normal dust is 17.46%. The findings of this research point to integrating IoT-based smart solar monitoring systems using the Blynk application for real-time data monitoring dust effect on solar PV systems efficiency.