How to check a PV system with your smartphone

Armand
Armand Registered Users Posts: 3
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Hi,
I stumbled across this Android app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.optivelox.solartester

is there someone who has already tried it?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,687 admin
    #2
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone

    I love the IR sensor...

    Armand, are you connected with the company (out of Italy)? There was no pricing listed for the hardware or online-country specific ordering information.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone
    BB. wrote: »
    I love the IR sensor...

    Armand, are you connected with the company (out of Italy)? There was no pricing listed for the hardware or online-country specific ordering information.

    -Bill

    Looks neat, but if you have to connect the sensor to your phone, not sure I wanna leave my phone sitting out in the sun all the time :) And what good would it do if I didn't have my phone to "check my phone's app" :)

    I am actually interested in finding an inexpensive "weather" system (with solar irradiance and wind speed) that can log data to a PC in realtime so that I can parallel those data samples with my outback data in real-time. Would be interesting to be able to graph solar output vs temp/humidity/irradiance, etc.
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone
    jcheil wrote: »
    ... not sure I wanna leave my phone sitting out in the sun all the time :)

    I wonder how long an extension cable the sensor can tolerate without losing performance? :)
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • Armand
    Armand Registered Users Posts: 3
    #5
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone
    BB. wrote:
    I love the IR sensor...
    Armand, are you connected with the company (out of Italy)? There was no pricing listed for the hardware or online-country specific ordering information.
    -Bill

    I've just tried the app in demo mode (I don't have the add-on sensor SS02). I'm going to contact the manufacturer and ask more info about the sensor, then I'll post here the answers.
    jcheil wrote:
    Looks neat, but if you have to connect the sensor to your phone, not sure I wanna leave my phone sitting out in the sun all the time :)

    Yes, I also would not leave the phone out in the sun...but I think this app is aimed to take a shot of the PV system condition rather then a long term monitoring
    inetdog wrote:
    I wonder how long an extension cable the sensor can tolerate without losing performance? :)

    That would be interesting, with the option of remoting the sensor we could continuously monitor the sun. It would be a convenient application for an old phone/tablet just dedicated to this job. I will try to know more about it.
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  • Armand
    Armand Registered Users Posts: 3
    #6
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone
    inetdog wrote: »
    I wonder how long an extension cable the sensor can tolerate without losing performance? :)

    It seems that sensor can tolerate a standard 3 meter extension cable (see here for example). Longer distance should be possible using a shielded cable.

    I've just found that this sensor is currently offered on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/251558238155).
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  • PNjunction
    PNjunction Solar Expert Posts: 762 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone
    jcheil wrote: »
    I am actually interested in finding an inexpensive "weather" system (with solar irradiance and wind speed) that can log data to a PC in realtime so that I can parallel those data samples with my outback data in real-time.

    I'm not sure this is within budget but there appears to be a pyranometer along with the other things you want to monitor:
    http://www.ambientweather.com/weather-stations-for-solar-power-monitoring.html

    Many of the Weatherbug guys, both professional and backyard, use this stuff. Not sure how it would mate to the Outback data.
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  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone
    PNjunction wrote: »
    I'm not sure this is within budget but there appears to be a pyranometer along with the other things you want to monitor:
    http://www.ambientweather.com/weather-stations-for-solar-power-monitoring.html

    Many of the Weatherbug guys, both professional and backyard, use this stuff. Not sure how it would mate to the Outback data.

    That's cool stuff. Rather high $$$ though when you add the Solar/IR/UV sensors, but I guess you get what you pay for.

    I may consider it. As far as interfacing, I would do all that on my end with some custom data collection software that I would write then I could graph it along side my outback data that I collect thru another custom data collection software package (that I am working on).
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
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  • Lizzy
    Lizzy Registered Users Posts: 1
    #9
    Re: How to check a PV system with your smartphone

    Oh, check out the App with http://easysolar.co/ This is a real help with your pv system! :)
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