DUAL AXIS SOLAR PANEL USING ARDUINO

Abstract

Solar energy is a clean, easily accessible and abundantly available alternative energy source in nature. Getting solar energy from nature is very beneficial for power generation. Using fixed Photovoltaic panels extract maximum energy only during 12 noon to 2 PM in Nigeria which results in less energy efficiency. Therefore, the need to improve the energy efficiency of PV solar panel through building a solar tracking system cannot be over-emphasized. Photovoltaic panels must be perpendicular with the sun in order to get maximum energy. The methodology employed in this work includes the implementation of an Arduino based solar tracking system. Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs) are used to sense the intensity of sunlight and hence the PV solar panel is adjusted accordingly to track maximum energy. The mechanism uses servo motor to control the movement of the solar panel. The microcontroller is used to control the servo motor based on signals received from the LDRs. The result of this work has clearly shown that the tracking solar panel produces more energy compared to a fixed panel. Key Words: LDRs, PV panel, Solar Energy, Microcontroller, Arduino, and Servo.