Integration of IoT Technologies for Real-Time Monitoring and Communication Assessment in Remote PV Systems

Conventional photovoltaic (PV) systems often encounter significant technical bottlenecks in real-time monitoring, remote operational control, and wireless communication range, particularly when deployed in geographically isolated regions. These constraints frequently lead to protracted fault detection, operational rigidity, and suboptimal data transmission efficiency. This study proposes an integrated Internet of Things (IoT)-based energy management framework designed to mitigate these challenges through an affordable and scalable architecture. The system utilizes an ESP8266 Wi-Fi module, high-precision voltage and current sensors, and the Blinker IoT platform to facilitate synchronized PV monitoring and remote load management via a mobile interface. Critically, while the remote control functionality is established within the software logic and command framework, its physical actuation remains to be validated in future hardware iterations. Experimental validation was conducted under outdoor conditions with an average ambient temperature of 31.6 °C and 76% relative humidity. The prototype, comprising a monocrystalline solar panel, a 12 V lead-acid battery, and a DC load, demonstrated a steady solar input of 8.79 W. Analytical results indicated a distribution of 4.79 W to the load and 2.31 W for storage, with a measured line loss of 1.64 W. Communication assessments revealed that the system maintains robust stability up to 50 meters; however, at a 100-meter threshold, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) degraded to –84.15 dBm, with latency escalating to 28.62 seconds and a 19% packet loss rate. This research provides a practical blueprint for enhancing PV system manageability in infrastructure-limited environments by synthesizing low cost IoT integration with rigorous wireless performance evaluation.