PLC-Based PV Plants Smart Monitoring System: Field Measurements and Uncertainty Estimation

A challenging issue in photovoltaic (PV) systems is the performance monitoring of the PV panels. This is useful to detect the causes that might lower the energy production. In this paper, a novel technique for the transmission of the data obtained by a real time monitoring of a PV system is proposed. The PV panel's voltage, current, and temperature are measured by means of a low-cost smart monitoring and communications module and transferred to the central control system using power lines carriers communications technology on already existing dc power lines, which avoid additional installations costs. Simulations and experimental results together with an estimation of the measurement uncertainty are presented in order to validate the proposed idea.