Abstract: This paper describes an innovative and highly modular software tool named PVLab and developed by the GREMAN laboratory in collaboration with Polytech Tours from the University of Tours (France). This simulation package assists the designer in the sizing of PV (photovoltaic) installations. PVLab has a high level of flexibility, allowing its physical models and databases (e.g., meteorological data) to be modified according to the user’s needs. This is made possible through the use of expertise applied to all of the computing steps, and to the MATLAB development environment. The user’s ability to control the source code itself will allow much greater progress to be made in the field of renewable energy applications than with PVsyst, which is currently the commercial reference. All of these features come together to make PVLab the perfect tool for modernizing higher education, in particular with regard to students’ competencies.
Since recent years, the higher education landscape has been undergoing considerable change as a result of technological innovations and new pedagogical approaches [1], [2], [3]. The Bologna Declaration and Lisbon Strategy in Europe are the clearest examples of international commitment to reform and modernization of university education [4], [5].
The degree and qualifications obtained, in terms of workload, level and learning outcomes are major pillars of the Bologna Process [6]. The competency-based management has been developed to increase the readability and comparability of European higher education degrees worldwide [7], [8]. This approach also supports the employability of higher education graduates [9]. Indeed, they are expected to be fully operational in an international context upon completion of their studies.
About 100 Engineering Schools in France have already started the process at the moment. This movement should speed up with the Engineering Education Commission (CTI) guidelines. The Polytechnic Engineering School of the University of Tours (Polytech Tours, France) has just initiated the continuous skills development.
The Electronics engineers to design and to have an in-depth understanding of electronic systems, has recently set up new pedagogical tools to achieve the education system modernization target.
With regard to the education of photovoltaic (PV) applications in particular, recent researches have focused attention on students’ investment to give them the methods, tools, skills, and understanding since they could potentially be involved in the design, sizing, and installation of PV systems within an efficient industrial context [10], [11].
As the use of photovoltaics expands, with more and more commercial and residential users investing on solar energy systems around the globe, there is a growing demand for software that can be used for the design, simulation, data analysis, and troubleshooting of PV systems, from the preliminary assessment of energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness to the development of the project documentation. For many years, PVsyst has been accepted as a reference by architects, engineers, teachers and researchers, especially as a result of its easy-to-use, and accuracy of electrical energy
production estimation thanks to its extensive PV-
component, and meteorological databases [12]. However, using this kind of software package, it is not possible to modify the electrical, optical and thermal models, nor the internal databases (i.e., PV modules, inverters, and meteorological databases) [13]. A major question is whether existing commercial PV software, such as PVsyst, are sufficient to accurate forecast the efficiency of a PV plant taking into consideration all technical and environmental requirements.
LINK ORIGINAL
http://www.wseas.org/multimedia/journals/education/2015/a245810-157.pdf
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