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Solar Irradiance Measurement Meter using Arduino

This project uses an Arduino Uno, an Adafruit INA219 sensor, a voltage divider, and an LCD display to measure current, voltage, power, and irradiance of a solar panel. The results are displayed on both the serial monitor and the LCD.

Components

Circuit Diagram

  1. INA219 Connections:

    • VCC to Arduino 5V
    • GND to Arduino GND
    • SDA to Arduino A4
    • SCL to Arduino A5

  2. Voltage Divider Connections:

    • The positive terminal of the solar panel to the 30 kΩ resistor (R1)
    • The junction of the 30 kΩ resistor and 7.5 kΩ resistor (R2) to Arduino A0
    • The negative terminal of the solar panel to the 7.5 kΩ resistor and then to ground

  3. INA219 Current Measurement:

    • Connect a 10 kΩ resistor (R3) in series with the load to the INA219 sensor. This resistor helps in measuring the current flowing through the load.

  4. LCD Connections:

    • VCC to Arduino 5V
    • GND to Arduino GND
    • SDA to Arduino A4
    • SCL to Arduino A5

Libraries

  • Wire.h: Used for I2C communication.
  • Adafruit_INA219.h: Library for the INA219 sensor.
  • LiquidCrystal_I2C.h: Library for the LCD.

Constants

  • R1 and R2: Resistor values in kΩ for the voltage divider.
  • luasPanel: Surface area of the solar panel in square meters.

Setup

  • Initializes the serial communication at 9600 baud rate.
  • Initializes the INA219 sensor and checks if it is found.
  • Initializes the LCD and turns on the backlight.

Loop

  • Reads the shunt voltage, bus voltage, and current using the INA219 sensor.
  • Calculates power in mW using the INA219 sensor data.
  • Reads the voltage from the voltage divider connected to the solar panel.
  • Calculates the power in watts using the voltage from the solar panel.
  • Converts the power to irradiance in W/m² using the surface area of the solar panel.
  • Prints the measurements to the serial monitor every 10 seconds.
  • Displays the irradiance on the LCD.

Output

The code will print the following data to the serial monitor and display the irradiance on the LCD:

  • Bus Voltage (V)
  • Shunt Voltage (V)
  • Current (mA)
  • Power measured by INA219 (mW)
  • Solar Panel Voltage (V)
  • Power calculated (W)
  • Irradiance (W/m²)

Notes

  • Ensure that the voltage divider is correctly connected to the Arduino and the solar panel.
  • Adjust the resistor values (R1 and R2) if needed based on your specific setup.
  • Ensure that the INA219 sensor is properly connected and initialized.
  • Ensure that the LCD is properly connected and initialized.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License