We are delighted to share the successful supply, installation, and commissioning of the Solar PV Emulator by Ecosense at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), located in the scenic town of Katra, Jammu and Kashmir. This project marks another significant step in Ecosense’s journey of advancing renewable energy education and research through innovative and indigenously developed training systems.
The integration of the Solar PV Emulator into the academic and research infrastructure of SMVDU strengthens the institution’s capabilities in solar power education, research, and skill development. It enables students and researchers to work with a highly customizable and controlled platform that simulates real-world solar PV panel behavior without relying on actual sunlight.
About the Project
As part of their long-term vision to enhance renewable energy studies and empower students with advanced laboratory tools, SMVDU selected Ecosense’s Solar PV Emulator as a key component of their energy systems laboratory.
The emulator replicates the electrical characteristics of solar photovoltaic modules, including I-V (current-voltage) and P-V (power-voltage) curves, under a wide range of user-defined irradiance and temperature conditions. It is equipped with advanced software for real-time control and monitoring and is fully compatible with various power electronics interfaces like solar inverters, DC-DC converters, and energy storage systems.
Ecosense’s Solar PV Emulator
Ecosense’s PV Emulator is a programmable power supply designed to emulate solar panels. With fast transient response, the emulator responds to changes in load conditions and maintains the output IV characteristics of the user-defined panel for a given ambient condition. It is a flexible instrument designed to emulate the output of solar panels with adjustable parameters such as Voc, Isc, shading, temperature coefficient, etc.
The PV Emulator uses an internal algorithm to adjust Voc (open-circuit voltage) and Isc (short-circuit current) to match the solar panel selected by the user, based on user-defined parameters such as irradiation, temperature, Voc, Isc, temperature coefficient, etc. The emulator ensures that the response matches that of an actual panel under all load conditions within the specified range. The user is presented with a complete set of information through tables and plots based on the application.
Ecosense Supplied Solar PV Emulator at SMVDU, Katra
Using the PV Emulator, users can observe the response of a solar PV panel as per their own set of user-defined parameters.
Users can select or modify the following parameters and view results immediately:
• Open Circuit Voltage (Voc)
• Short Circuit Current (Isc)
• Temperature Coefficient
• Complete Shading
• Partial Shading
• Series Resistance
• Area of the Panel
• Diode Quality Factor
• Operating Temperature
Benefits of Using the PV Emulator
• User-controlled, cost-effective way to test the response of PV systems for a wide range of solar panels.
• Simulate the I-V curve under varying environmental conditions.
• Test and verify different parameters of a PV system, such as MPPT tracking algorithms of PV inverters and efficiency of MPPT tracking.
• Measure and verify overall efficiency and conversion efficiency of PV inverters for various solar panels and under different weather conditions.
• Does not require an external setup for data monitoring and acquisition—an LCD displays output characteristics, and the software application presents users with tables, plots, and simulation parameters.
Master’s Training Conducted
After the successful installation of the system, a one-day master’s training program was conducted. This training focused on efficiently utilizing the system in core curriculum development and practical experimentation.