Renewable Energy Systems Laboratory
The laboratory has a photovoltaic (PV) system that is modeled by combining both on-grid and off-grid solar panels and consists of ground-mounted, roof-top solar panels and solar tracker system. The PV system has 39 solar panels. Among these panels, 24 solar panels are used for 6 kW on-grid system and the rest 15 panels are used for 4 kW off-grid system. The system contains multiple PV modules that convert the radiation coming from the sun into direct current electrical energy, solar inverters that convert direct current into alternative current and synchronize this energy with the grid, charge regulators that provide to store electrical energy in batteries and construction to be used for location of fixed mount solar panels. In the laboratory, 1 kW wind turbine is added to the PV system to develop a hybrid system model as shown in the above figure.
In the laboratory, real-time outdoor parameters are measured and recorded with high resolution to improve renewable energy studies. Using the data that are recorded sensitively in models and analysis contribute to studies involving renewable energy resources to have accurate results. The measuring system includes sensors that measure the values of global radiation, direct radiation, diffuse radiation, sunshine duration, ambient temperature, panel temperature, air humidity, wind speed, wind direction and weather pressure and a data logger to record these measured values.
In addition, energy monitoring system is placed in the laboratory to monitor and record power consumption values based on the fuses. This provides to correlate production and consumption values in an efficient way. In the next terms, students are planned to study about renewable energy analysis of a real-time system by considering demand side and source side dynamics.