Real-time Emulation of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Generation System Supported by IoT Technology

Grid-connected PV systems have become a feasible solution for integrating distributed energy resources into the power grid or enabling consumers to use local energy resources to reduce dependency on the utility grid. In any case, the size of the system will depend on the intended use and behavior of the local energy resource. Therefore, properly evaluating the available resource and system operation requirements before final implementation may result in a more cost-effective solution. This work proposes a system for emulating the operation of future grid-connected PV systems, supported by a remote experimental platform and local measurements integrated through IoT and cloud computing technologies. The proposed system will use a portable measuring device to collect key weather condition data at the site and transmit it to an experimental platform capable of performing operational tests with different PV array configurations in real time.