Characterization of a Low-Cost Testbed for Photovoltaic Panel Testing

Solar panel test stands are becoming increasingly important with the growing implementation of large-scale photovoltaic systems. These systems require a rigorous evaluation of the solar panels that make them up. Test benches have become essential tools for achieving these goals. This work describes the development of a solar panel test bench, with emphasis on the analysis of the dynamic behavior of irradiance and temperature, in order to define appropriate control strategies for each variable. The instrumentation and power interface of each process, modeled using transfer functions, are presented and their performance is evaluated in terms of error, operating limits and response time. Finally, real operational tests are shown for different temperature and irradiance ranges, demonstrating the utility and effectiveness of the developed test chamber.