Panel Solar on the payload for Atmosferic Baloon
Hello everyone,
I am Federico Dalla Vecchia, maker and engineer.
The final part of my project is to integrate a solar panel with Arduino.
The goal is to measure solar radiation intensity during the day. More precisely, I want to record the raw data as voltage from the solar panel, which will be mounted on top of the payload of a high-altitude balloon. The payload will fly from the ground up to about 30 km altitude in 2–3 hours.
I would like your advice on how to design the circuit.
At first I thought about a simple voltage divider with precision resistors, then I considered using an easy module with a shunt, like the INA219 or INA226.
I am also unsure which solar panel to use. If you have any suggestions or experience with these instruments, I would be very happy to learn from you. Thanks new Community 🙂
3 Replies
Here are my recommendations:
Circuit Design Considerations
For Solar Radiation Measurement:
Since you want to measure solar radiation intensity (not power generation), I recommend:
Use the solar panel in "short-circuit current" mode - Solar panel short-circuit current (Isc) is directly proportional to irradiance, making it ideal for radiation measurement.
INA219/226 is a good choice because:
It can measure both voltage and current simultaneously
Has built-in ADC with good resolution (12-bit for INA219, 16-bit for INA226)
I2C interface works well with Arduino
Can handle the low currents from small solar panels
Solar Panel Selection
For radiation measurement at high altitude, consider:
Small monocrystalline panel (5-10W range)
More stable temperature coefficient
Better spectral response
Example: 6V, 1W panel (approx 170mA Isc)
Important specifications:
Known Isc at STC (Standard Test Conditions)
Low temperature coefficient
Wide operating temperature range (-40°C to +85°C)
Recommended Circuit
Ehi 🙂 , thank y so much for the answer. I have pondered about the sensor. I have a mini panel solar like this: RUNCCI-YUN 4pcs 5V 30mA 53×30mm Mini Solar Panels (from Amazon). This measure a little current and to be honest, i have measured 0 current mA with my Multimeter, but only voltage... i dont know why.... So the INA219/226 is not necessary to measure this low current... maybe i could use just a resistence... What do you think about?
@sven 🙂