: In this paper, design, implementation and experimental validation of a sensor integrated Labview-based virtual instrumentation platform for comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) module monitoring is presented. The proposed system simultaneously measures the electrical parameters such as voltage, current, and power, as well as the environmental parameters such as solar irradiance and ambient temperature by calibrated sensors connected to a National Instruments Data Acquisition (NI-DAQ) module with a sampling rate of 1 kS/s. Real-time signal acquisition, processing, and visualization is achieved in LabVIEW using a customized Graphical User Interface (GUI) for continuous monitoring of the sample, for automated recording of sample data, and for trend-based image performance analysis. Benchmarking experiments were performed based on the IEC 61724-1 photovoltaic performance monitoring standard to ensure reliable measurement and reference comparison measurements. Experimental validation performed in experimentally dynamically varying irradiance environment proves excellent correlation between the environmental and electrical parameters with measurement deviations staying within +/-2% in comparison with calibrated reference instruments. The system has been experimentally tested to polycrystalline silicon PV modules with different temperature, irradiance and partial shading conditions. Performance deviations due to shading and variation in temperature could be successfully detected, proving the ability of this platform to identify the early-stage fault and degradation in performance. The proposed platform is economical, modular and easily reconfigurable to be used in laboratory-scale PV installations, academic research, and education applications. By combining sensor-based data acquisition and virtual instrumentation, the system developed in this project offers a feasible and scalable sensor-based monitoring system which can improve the PV performance evaluation and aid in solar energy management.
