Shelby Powers

Senior Project Advisor

Xichen Jiang

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Keywords

Small-scale solar, MPPT, charge controller, power supply, battery-based power supply

Abstract

Solar panels have been growing in popularity among residential consumers. There are many different options available, but presently small-scale solar systems are limited. Due to this, access to renewables for those living or working in small spaces is difficult. In addition, costs related to the purchase and installation of solar panels are high, providing another barrier to wide-scale residential solar energy usage. These are the issues that the project discussed in the report addresses.

The project discussed here is batter-based renewable power supply. This works by charging a battery using a photovoltaic, or solar, panel so that the user can attach a load that can be powered by the battery. The major components are the 50-Watt solar panel, the two 12-volt sealed lead-acid batteries, DC-DC power converters, USB ports for power for the user, and LCD screens to display important information. The main design goal was to create a compact system that can go anywhere without any permanent installation process. The focus of this report is on the code and related hardware required to successfully complete this project.

Department

Engineering and Design

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Included in

Engineering Commons

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