Weather Station – Knowledge Base

Key Points

Autonomous system powered by solar energy, ideal for operation in remote locations without access to the power grid.
Energy generation and storage with a 12 V photovoltaic panel, charge controller, and 12 V / 150 Ah battery, ensuring up to 24 hours of autonomy.
Control and monitoring performed by a Nexto Xpress PLC (XP325 + 4 XP600 modules), offering extensive analog acquisition capability.
Robust and highly reliable architecture, designed for continuous data collection and independent operation from the power grid.

Solution Description

This automation system is powered by solar energy and was developed to operate autonomously in remote locations, without the need for connection to the power grid.

Power generation is carried out by a 12 V photovoltaic solar panel, which converts solar radiation into electrical energy. This energy is managed by a charge controller, responsible for protecting the battery against overcharge and discharge, as well as regulating the charging voltage. The energy produced is stored in a 12 V, 150 Ah battery, ensuring the continuous operation of the system even during periods without sunlight, such as at night or on cloudy days, providing up to 24 hours of autonomy.

From the battery, the voltage is sent to a DC/DC converter that raises it to 24 V, the value required to power the automation equipment and the weather station. The control system is composed of a Nexto Xpress PLC, consisting of the XP325 model and four XP600 expansion modules, which provide the analog input interfaces required by the application.

The PLC performs monitoring and control of a weather station through the Modbus communication protocol. The station is equipped with sensors for wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and other environmental parameters. Both the PLC and the sensors operate at 24 V, being powered directly by the converter.

This arrangement allows for continuous collection and processing of environmental data, offering high reliability and operational autonomy. It is an ideal solution for environmental monitoring applications, precision agriculture, and other scenarios that require operation independent of the power grid.

Architecture