The following article discusses two ways to monitor the performance of PV systems. The first concerns small home installations via Bluetooth, while the second one can be monitored via the internet.

SunnyBeam

A great way to monitor your PV system is the Sunny Beam from SMA. This device is connected via Bluetooth to the inverter (s) of the system so that it receives and stores its data. It operates with minimal movements, offers easy handling and has an attractive look. thanks to the built-in solar cell, this portable device works regardless of socket availability. Thanks to the rotary push button, the device allows one-touch intuitive operation and menu control - simply and quickly.

The range within which it operates is 100m. It is the ideal monitoring solution for those who have installed a photovoltaic system in their home.

Operation:

By pressing the button or rotating it, the user sees the current performance of his system (chart and value). The current day diagram as well as the instantaneous power output, as well as the total kWh generated by the system so far, are displayed on the screen.

The next indicator, which includes the chart of yesterday, is displayed by rotating the button.

The next menus are energy generation per day, month and year.

There is also a setting in which the user can enter the current kWh value and so the device in the next menu displays the amount of € earned by the owner up to that time, and the day's profit value is displayed in the same menu. Finally there is a menu showing the CO2 emission value that would be released into the atmosphere to produce the same amount of energy as conventional fuel.

SunnyWebBox

It is the ideal monitoring solution for medium and large scale photovoltaic systems, but even for small domestic systems if the owner is permanently resident in a different address from the one who installed the system.

The Sunny WebBox receives and stores all current measurement values ​​and data from the inverter - via Bluetooth or RS485. A prerequisite for its operation is the connection to the internet that must be pre-exist at home.

So you have at all times the picture of the operation of your plant. Through the Web Browser, you can display, evaluate or download all the measurement values ​​on your computer, as well as change the parameters.

Once the PV system has been completed, the WebBox is installed and after the necessary settings have been made, the system owner receives the Sunny Portal passwords.

Upon entering the system, the owner of the system has a first image of his facility where he can distinguish the performance of the last two days, total energy production, total profits, CO2 avoidance and monthly output of the year we are in, on a page.

From there, you can browse through different menus, showing the returns per day, month, year, and many different installation statistics. The user can also configure his page as best served.

In addition, messages such as Information, Warnings, Faults and Errors appear on Sunny Portal so that the owner and the installer can control the system and, if anything happens, be detected and repaired in a timely manner to avoid losing valuable energy.

The Sunny Portal is even accessible from your mobile phone.