Raspberry Pi based photovoltaic I-V curve tracer

This paper details the design and implementation of a photovoltaic current – voltage (I-V) tracer. The I-V tracer employs a capacitive load controlled by a raspberry pi model 4B. The complete measurement system includes protections, capacitor charging/discharging power electronics and current, voltage, irradiance and temperature sensors. Results, which include maximum power point, open circuit voltage, short circuit current and module efficiency, are displayed on an LCD touch display. Detailed description of the required software and the graphical user interface is also presented. This measurement system is very useful for testing photovoltaic installations, allowing an immediate verification whether the panels fulfill with the specifications and detection of possible failures.