Abstract:
The sun is an incredibly powerful source of renewable energy. Harnessing this renewable energy source is crucial to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating the effects of climate change. Solar panel systems are a renewable energy resource that provide sustainable and cost-effective power, thus tackling the energy crisis and environment problems.
Currently most solar panel systems are fixed. In comparison to them the Dual Axis Solar Tracking Systems are a promising technology to increase the efficiency of solar panels. A dual axis solar tracker is a device that follows the sun’s movement in both the horizontal and vertical planes. This allows solar panels to remain perpendicular to the sun's rays throughout the day, maximizing energy output.
The aim of this project is the development of a dual axis solar tracker system by designing, manufacturing, assembling the mechanical structure and then programming it with the help of sensors and microcontroller to track the movement of the sun along with an actuating system to move the mechanism, hence making it capable of increasing the overall efficiency of the system.
Raspberry Pi 5 and Arduino UNO have been used as microcontrollers. A mechanical structure capable of performing dual axis motion has been developed. This is moved through an actuating system consisting of DC motors and a drive card that allows the motors to function as servos. The active tracking is done through LDR sensors and implementation of a control mechanism. Voltage and current sensors are used to acquire data regarding the power generation of solar panel. Finally, the power generated by static and dual axis solar tracking systems is calculated. Results regarding efficiency of the system are analyzed
