The project created a system that will facilitate the development of an open source battery storage system as a solution for both home storage and integrated photovoltaic systems. It was important to consider combined battery/photovoltaic systems that are more robust and cost-effective than those currently available, and that use technology that can be made widely available. The objective is to select widely available components and to release the software for controlling the battery and power electronics once it is available and tested.
In the initial phase, a reference system with commercially available components was designed and procured. Several workshops were held with the Open Knowledge Foundation to design the system as an open hardware project. This will make it possible to publish the technical solutions when they are available.
Construction of a maximum power point tracker (MPPT), battery, and inverter for the reference system is complete. They are now available for analyses. In order to collect and process measurement data, measurement systems have been developed for the entire system and for the individual photovoltaic modules.
In addition to the use of new batteries, the suitability of used batteries for this application will also be investigated. Technical solutions to facilitate the use of different batteries in a battery storage system will also be developed. The documentation will be published on a platform as soon as the solutions have been developed.
The tasks involved in the project were leveraged to educate students and specialist workers, who gained hands-on experience in the development and construction of photovoltaic storage systems. In total, two student project groups and three bachelor’s theses were involved in the project. One master’s thesis on the topic has already been submitted. Two apprentices training to become mechatronics engineers also had a hand in the construction of the system. The project in Berlin-Brandenburg has thus trained specialists to help them transform the energy sector.
© Birgit Holthaus
It is important to us that we also provide teaching cues, so that future engineers consider and implement aspects such as sustainability, recycling, renewable energies in general, and above all photovoltaics, as second nature in their daily work.
