Efficiency meter for photovoltaic power generation systems
First Claim
1. A portable efficiency measurement meter for determining an efficiency of a modular photovoltaic power generation system containing a photovoltaic module circuit and an output power circuit comprising:
- an irradiance sensor;
a temperature sensor responsive to ambient temperature and an elevated temperature associated with absorption of solar radiation emulating a temperature of power generation photovoltaic modules;
a communication module;
a user interface; and
a processor coupled to the irradiance sensor, the temperature sensor, the communication module, and the user interface, wherein the processor is configured to;
receive a temperature value from the temperature sensor;
estimate a cell temperature of the photovoltaic power generation system based on a temperature value from the temperature sensor;
receive a measured irradiance value from the irradiance sensor;
estimate a cell irradiance of the photovoltaic power generation system based on measured irradiance value from the irradiance sensor;
receive an output power value of the photovoltaic power generation system by user input through the user interface;
estimate an actual photovoltaic module power based on the estimated temperature value and the estimated irradiance value;
compute a ratio of the estimated actual photovoltaic module power to a rated photovoltaic module power of the photovoltaic power generation system;
compute an efficiency metric associated with a conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the ratio of the estimated actual photovoltaic module power to the rated photovoltaic module power; and
report the efficiency metric through the communication module.
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Abstract
A portable instrument for displaying an efficiency metric for a photovoltaic power generation system based on an estimate of the source power available from the photovoltaic modules. The source power is a value scaled from the rated DC source power computed with data from irradiance and temperature sensors or from a photovoltaic sensor'"'"'s deviation from a rated level of power generation. A ratio of output power divided by source power is one measure of efficiency and relates to the health of the physical photovoltaic power generation system.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A portable efficiency measurement meter for determining an efficiency of a modular photovoltaic power generation system containing a photovoltaic module circuit and an output power circuit comprising:
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an irradiance sensor; a temperature sensor responsive to ambient temperature and an elevated temperature associated with absorption of solar radiation emulating a temperature of power generation photovoltaic modules; a communication module; a user interface; and a processor coupled to the irradiance sensor, the temperature sensor, the communication module, and the user interface, wherein the processor is configured to; receive a temperature value from the temperature sensor; estimate a cell temperature of the photovoltaic power generation system based on a temperature value from the temperature sensor; receive a measured irradiance value from the irradiance sensor; estimate a cell irradiance of the photovoltaic power generation system based on measured irradiance value from the irradiance sensor; receive an output power value of the photovoltaic power generation system by user input through the user interface; estimate an actual photovoltaic module power based on the estimated temperature value and the estimated irradiance value; compute a ratio of the estimated actual photovoltaic module power to a rated photovoltaic module power of the photovoltaic power generation system; compute an efficiency metric associated with a conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the ratio of the estimated actual photovoltaic module power to the rated photovoltaic module power; and report the efficiency metric through the communication module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A portable computing device with efficiency measurement functionality for determining an efficiency of a modular photovoltaic power generation system containing a photovoltaic module circuit and an output power circuit, the portable computing device comprising:
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a memory; a user interface; an integrated display; a communication module; an attachment comprising temperature and irradiance sensors; and a processor coupled to the memory, the user interface, the integrated display, and the communication module, the processor executing instructions stored in the memory and configured to; receive a measured temperature value from a temperature sensor; estimate a cell temperature of the photovoltaic power generation system based on measured temperature value from the temperature sensor; receive a measured irradiance value from an irradiance sensor; estimate a cell irradiance of the photovoltaic power generation system based on measured irradiance value from the irradiance sensor; receive an output power value of the photovoltaic power generation system by user input through the user interface; estimate an actual photovoltaic module power based on the estimated temperature value and the estimated irradiance value; compute a ratio of the estimated actual photovoltaic module power to a rated photovoltaic module power of the photovoltaic power generation system; compute an efficiency metric associated with a conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the ratio of the estimated actual photovoltaic module power to the rated photovoltaic module power; and display the efficiency metric through the integrated display. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A smart phone with efficiency measurement functionality for determining an efficiency of a modular photovoltaic power generation system containing a photovoltaic module circuit and an output power circuit, the smart phone comprising:
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a memory; a communication module; an integrated display; a pluggable sensor module responsive to at least one of irradiance and temperature and capable of generating power; and a controller configured to; measure a sensor signal peak power level; receive a rated sensor value rated power; calculate a ratio of the sensor signal peak power level to the rated sensor value rated power; receive a value for an output power rated module power of the photovoltaic power generation system; receive a value for a rated photovoltaic module power of the photovoltaic power generation system; estimate a ratio of a photovoltaic module power to the rated photovoltaic module power of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the ratio of the sensor signal peak power level to the rated sensor value rated power; calculate an efficiency metric associated with a conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic power generation system based on the ratio of the photovoltaic module power to the rated photovoltaic module power of the photovoltaic power generation system; display the efficiency metric through the integrated display; and report the efficiency metric through the communication module.
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Specification