Towards Sustainable Energy: Dual-Axis Solar Trackers and Control Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37628/ijmet.v9i2.1965Abstract
The goal of this thesis was to develop a laboratory prototype for a sun tracking system that can increase the photovoltaic modules' efficiency in a solar energy system. The device's basic function is to maximize the amount of
solar panel exposure to the sun's energy by maintaining the photovoltaic modules alignment with sunbeams. Consequently, the solar panel may generate a higher output power The project involved software programming for the solar tracker's microcontroller unit in addition to hardware design and implementation. Two servo motors that spin a solar panel in two axes are controlled by the system using an ATmega328P microcontroller. The microprocessor calculated the rotational amount by using data obtained from four photo sensors placed adjacent to the solar panel. Upon project completion, a working solar tracking system was created and put into place. The solar panel could be repeatedly oriented toward the sun or any other light source. The solar tracker's design from this project serves as both a model and a springboard for the future creation of more sophisticated systems.
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