Solar PV Offgrid/Ongrid Training System

The Solar PV Off Grid and On Grid Solar System Training Platform is an advanced experimental and research system designed for academic solar laboratories. The platform enables hands-on study of both standalone solar operation and grid-connected solar power systems within a controlled environment. This integrated platform allows students and researchers to configure and analyze a complete off grid and on grid solar system, enabling detailed experimentation on power generation, storage, grid synchronization, and power flow. Users can evaluate system behavior under different operating conditions while gaining practical understanding of real-world solar installations. A key research highlight of the system is the configurable DC-DC converter with Auto and Manual control modes. It supports external gate signal injection and external MPPT signal access, allowing researchers to vary duty cycle, implement custom control algorithms, and validate their own MPPT strategies for advanced experimentation and performance optimization.

Key Features

Complete Solar PV Experimental Platform: Compact and modular platform replicating a real solar power plant for hands-on experimentation with an off grid and on grid solar system configuration.
Solar PV Panel Series and Parallel Configuration: Solar panels can be connected in series to increase voltage or in parallel to increase current, enabling detailed study of array design, electrical scaling, and performance behavior.
Flexible Battery Configuration (12V / 24V): Battery bank supports both 12V and 24V configurations through series and parallel connections, allowing practical understanding of voltage scaling, current sharing, and energy storage integration.
Dual Mode Solar Operation: The system supports seamless switching between standalone solar operation and grid-connected operation, enabling comparative study of off grid and on grid solar system performance.
Integrated Virtual Grid: Built-in 1000 VA virtual grid (230V AC pure sine wave) allows safe indoor experimentation, inverter synchronization studies, and controlled grid simulation without relying on the utility grid.
Advanced Measurement and Power Analysis: Active measurement panel provides multi-point monitoring of voltage, current, temperature, and electrical parameters, along with a power analyzer at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC).
Dedicated Off Grid Solar System Module: Includes DC-DC converter, charge controller, battery bank, inverter, AC/DC loads, and protection circuits for complete standalone solar system experimentation.
Grid Connected Solar System Integration: 1500 W grid-tied inverter with wide MPPT range enables synchronization studies and power export analysis in an off grid and on grid solar system environment.
Research-Oriented DC-DC Converter: Buck converter topology operating in Auto and Manual modes with duty cycle control and external gate signal injection for advanced experimentation.
Custom MPPT Development Capability: Built-in Perturb and Observe MPPT algorithm with provisions for testing user-defined MPPT algorithms and comparing performance results.
Power Quality and Reactive Power Studies: Variable capacitor and inductor banks enable harmonic analysis, power factor correction, and voltage regulation studies at the PCC.
Real-Time Data Logging and Visualization: Proprietary Ecosense software provides real-time data acquisition with I-V, P-V, voltage-time, and current-time plotting. Data can be exported in CSV format for further analysis.
Designed for Academic and Research Solar Labs: The platform supports undergraduate training, postgraduate research, and laboratory experimentation on off grid and on grid solar system technologies.

Learning Modules

Solar PV Characteristics & Fundamentals

Study of I-V and P-V characteristics under varying radiation levels
Effect of temperature variation on module performance
Series and parallel interconnection of solar panels
Effect of tilt angle on power output
Shading impact analysis using shading blades
Study of bypass and blocking diode operation
Manual Maximum Power Point (MPP) identification using resistive loading

Offgrid Solar PV System & Research Module

Configuration and wiring of a complete offgrid solar PV system
Power flow analysis for DC load with battery
Power flow analysis for AC load with battery
Combined AC & DC load operation with battery storage
Battery charging and discharging characteristic analysis
DC-DC converter operation in Auto and Manual modes
Duty cycle variation to track MPP
Built-in Perturb & Observe MPPT study
External MPPT signal injection for algorithm validation
Custom MPPT algorithm testing and performance comparison
Standalone system efficiency evaluation and optimization studies

Grid Connected Solar PV System Studies

Installation and configuration of a grid-connected solar PV system
Grid synchronization of solar inverter
Active, reactive, and apparent power flow analysis
Net metering concept demonstration
Power factor improvement using capacitor banks
Impact of transmission line inductance at PCC
Harmonics and power quality analysis
Performance evaluation of a complete off grid and on grid solar system under varying load conditions

Technical Description

Solar PV Power Generation: Two 515 Wp polycrystalline solar panels convert solar irradiance into DC electrical power, forming the primary energy source for the system.
Solar Panel Series and Parallel Configuration: The solar modules can be connected in series to increase voltage or in parallel to increase current. This configuration allows detailed study of electrical scaling and array design principles.
DC Junction and Measurement Stage: The generated DC power is routed through the measurement panel where module voltage, current, temperature, and other electrical parameters are continuously monitored.
Operating Mode Selection: The platform enables users to select between standalone solar operation and grid-connected operation, allowing comparative analysis of an off grid and on grid solar system.
Off Grid Power Conditioning: In standalone mode, the DC-DC converter regulates panel output using MPPT control. The generated power can charge the battery bank or directly supply DC loads.
Battery Energy Storage Configuration: The battery bank consists of 4 × 12V, 42 Ah lead-acid batteries. These batteries can be configured in series or parallel to operate at 12V or 24V levels for experiments related to voltage scaling and energy storage.
DC to AC Conversion: The 1350 W inverter converts stored DC power into 220V AC, enabling the system to supply AC loads during standalone solar operation.
Grid Synchronization: In grid-connected mode, the 1500 W grid-tied inverter synchronizes PV output with the utility grid by matching voltage and frequency parameters.
Power Flow and Net Metering Analysis: The system allows detailed study of power exchange between solar panels, loads, and grid, enabling experiments on export control and net metering concepts.
Power Quality and Reactive Compensation: Variable capacitor and inductor banks support experiments on reactive power compensation, harmonic distortion, and voltage regulation at the PCC.
MPPT Research and Control Experimentation: The DC-DC converter operates in Auto mode using the Perturb and Observe MPPT algorithm or in Manual mode where duty cycle can be controlled externally for advanced research.
Real-Time Data Logging: Ecosense proprietary software records PV voltage, PV current, and MPPT signals, enabling real-time visualization of system performance with I-V and P-V curves and time-domain analysis.

Technical Specifications

Power Generating Unit

Parameters	Specifications
Solar Panels	Minimum 2, Polycrystalline
Electrical Ratings	1000 Wp
Configuration	Series and Parallel PV Array Connection
Datalogging	Available

Offgrid Solar PV System & Research Unit

Parameters	Specifications
Battery Bank	4 × 12V, 42Ah Lead Acid (12V / 24V Series-Parallel Configurable)
DC-DC Converter	35–100V Input, 1kW, Buck Topology (Auto & Manual MPPT Modes)
Inverter	1350W, 24V DC Input, 220V AC Output
Load & Protection	100W AC Load, 100W DC Load, Integrated Protection Fuses

Grid Connected Solar PV System & Measurement Unit

Parameters	Specifications
Grid-Tied Inverter	1500W, Max DC Input 500V, MPPT Range 100–500V
Virtual Grid	1000 VA, 230V AC, Pure Sine Wave
Power Quality Control	Variable Inductor, Variable Capacitor
Measurement & Logging	Multi-point Voltage/Current Monitoring, Power Analyzer at PCC, Proprietary Software with CSV & Graph Export

Real world impact across Campuses

Recent Installations

Renewable Energy Lab installation at NIT, AP

December 16, 2025

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Frequently Asked Questions

The system includes a configurable DC-DC converter with external gate signal input and MPPT access, enabling researchers to test custom algorithms. Real-time data logging, open wiring architecture, and configurable battery and panel connections support advanced experimentation and performance optimization studies.

Yes, the platform supports complete offgrid solar PV system configuration with battery storage and standalone loads, along with grid connected solar PV system operation including synchronization, power export control, and net metering analysis within a controlled laboratory environment.

The converter operates in automatic P&O MPPT mode or manual duty-cycle control mode. Users can inject external gate signals and implement custom MPPT algorithms, allowing detailed evaluation of tracking accuracy, efficiency improvement, and transient response behavior.

Yes, solar panels can be connected in series or parallel to study voltage and current scaling. The battery bank also supports 12V and 24V configurations through series-parallel connections, enabling practical analysis of system design flexibility.

Yes, it includes a grid-tied inverter, virtual grid, power analyzer at PCC, and variable capacitor and inductor banks. This allows study of harmonics, reactive power compensation, voltage regulation, and overall performance of a grid connected solar system.

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Solar PV Offgrid/Ongrid Training System

Key Features