Remote laboratory systems have emerged as a critical tool for expanding access to specialized engineering education and research infrastructure. A new modular platform addresses this need by creating an internet-accessible testbed for hybrid energy systems that combines solar and wind energy emulators, battery storage, and variable loads in a single integrated environment.
The platform operates through a three-layer architecture designed to balance functionality, security, and user accessibility. A web-based human-machine interface provides intuitive control for students and researchers, while integration with TIA Portal and MATLAB/Simulink enables advanced algorithm development and validation. An industrial programmable logic controller ensures deterministic local control with millisecond-level precision, supported by an IoT gateway that manages secure remote access through a dedicated VPN cloud connection.
Robustness testing compared the performance of a hierarchical energy management algorithm running both locally and remotely under identical wind and solar conditions. Results demonstrated negligible differences in energy balance calculations across the renewable sources, battery system, and load profiles. Communication latencies averaged approximately 100 milliseconds—well within acceptable tolerances for most grid-scale research applications.
This architecture enables two distinct use cases. Educational institutions can deploy the platform for project-based learning in control systems and energy engineering, allowing students from multiple locations to collaborate on the same physical equipment without requiring campus presence. Research teams benefit from access to a standardized testbed for validating energy management strategies, control algorithms, and hybrid system integration concepts.
The modular design allows future expansion with additional components such as hydrogen systems, electric vehicle charging, or microgrid configurations. By reducing barriers to hands-on engineering education and accelerating research validation cycles, this platform represents a meaningful step toward democratizing access to specialized energy systems infrastructure. The combination of industrial-grade reliability with cloud-based accessibility positions it as a scalable solution for institutions seeking to advance hybrid energy system competency.
