HeliosLab: A remote photovoltaic laboratory

This paper presents a project dedicated to the development of an open access remote PV laboratory for educational purposes. The remote PV laboratory will be installed outdoors at the facilities of the TEI of Athens - Greece, which is in a geographical region characterized by a large number of annual sunshine hours, allowing the users to perform real-world tests and experiments with photovoltaic panels over the internet, in real time. At the same time, the student can have a live view of the systems through a web camera, offering him/her a sense of personal presence in the place where the experiment takes place. The system will be accessible by everyone on the planet with an internet access and will be offered in at least five different languages. It also will be accompanied by appropriate educational material, for several target groups, such as students, postgraduates, professionals and educators, allowing it to be used by a broad variety of users directly. Moreover, the remote laboratory will help students with disabilities, to increase their participation in a laboratory environment.