Offline Real-Time Solar Diagnostics & Autonomous Fault Detection
THE PROBLEM
Solar panels installed in rural Zambia – powering irrigation pumps and farm equipment – are frequently abandoned without maintenance after initial donor-funded installation. When a panel fails, farmers lose water, lose crops, and lose income. Faults are only discovered after the damage is done.
THE SOLUTION
A LoRaWAN sensor network installed on solar panels to monitor panel health in real time – detecting dust accumulation, temperature anomalies, and electrical faults before they cause failure. Because LoRaWAN requires no internet (each sensor covers 10–15 km), the system works in off-grid rural areas. Alerts are sent to a local technician who can respond immediately. Revenue comes from installation fees and ongoing subscriptions paid by solar grid providers and mini-grid operators – not farmers directly.
THE APPROACH
IoT / LoRaWAN sensor network · Preventive maintenance · B2B subscriptions ·
FIELD RESEARCH
Dambie, Eastern Province
TEAM MEMBERS
The Solar Sense team members, left to right:
- Thapelo Melissa Ngwenya · University of Lusaka – Health Science
- Christabel Kaina Mukuyu · University of Lusaka – Banking and Finance
- Patrick Mwale · University of Lusaka – Economics and Finance
- Soraya Faulet · Université Laval – Mechanical Engineering
- Yeva Côté-Paradis · Université Laval – Industrial Engineering
- Charles Antoine · Université Laval – Maîtrise enadministration des affaires
