I am planning a solar energy project and am reaching out to you for your expertise and to find the most suitable product for its implementation. The aim of the project is to compare the total power output (in Wh) of two identical solar panels (each 120Wp, 12V) over a period of one month. I intend to repeat this comparison over a six-month period. The focus is on testing a soiling prevention technology for the surface of the solar panels. I plan to operate one panel without and another with this technology to determine the percentage increase in efficiency at the end. For the comparison, data logging with at least daily resolution is required. The test will be conducted in a remote region (island operation) and monitored monthly, which is a desert area with high temperatures in summer.
My question to you is:
- How can I reliably and realistically measure the performance of both modules and store the data, especially considering that the technology will be used under maximum load in solar installations?
Currently, a setup with an MPPT charge controller (SmartSolar MPPT 75/10) without a connected battery and a resistive load (e.g., a heating element with higher consumption than the maximum panel output) seems most logical to me. Would an MPPT controller with the right settings fulfill this task? If not, why, and what alternative would you recommend? The load should be continuously active, so that the solar power is constantly consumed. This assumes that the charger does not lose the data when it is completely switched off at night and reactivated at dawn.
I look forward to your response and thank you in advance for your support in this exciting project.
