ePV-Trainer: Software for dimensioning stand-alone and grid-connected photovoltaic systems for educational purposes

Abstract

ePV-Trainer is a user-friendly desktop application that allows users to dimension stand-alone and grid-connected photovoltaic systems. In addition, data on any geographic location in the world can be uploaded to the platform. The aim of this paper is to describe and assess the operation of the software developed in LabVIEW™. The study concludes with practical examples to verify that data delivered by the program match the one executed on manual calculations. The result is an intuitive software, which also allows to estimate the electricity generation of photovoltaic systems, based on real parameters of solar radiation and temperature. The software has been developed for educational purposes. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd.