Enhanced Solar Tracking System Using Internet of Things Technology

Abstract

Solar energy has grown in popularity in recent years. Conventional solar panels cannot provide enough energy to meet consumer demand. Therefore, more solar panels are needed to meet consumer demand. The Internet of Things (IoT) Solar Tracker maximises solar energy collecting by connecting the physical and digital worlds. This study integrates IoT to improve solar tracker performance. Blynk uses the NodeMCU ESP8266 control unit to monitor voltage, current, and power usage. This research uses the Arduino IDE, a photoresistor sensor, and a current sensor, INA219. This work advances solar energy efficiency. By comparing solar panel electrical qualities in different environments, this research succeeded. To assess solar panel efficiency, 5 V and 12 V fans were used as loads. The results demonstrated that load configuration deliberately influences power and energy production. Solar panels produced greater power and energy under 12 V fan loads than 5 V loads. This observation assists solar energy system analysis and design. Second, the IoT solar tracker was tested for electricity harvesting. The solar tracker harvested more solar energy than a fixed orientation. After tracking the sun, it enhances voltage, current, power, and energy by 30%. Web dashboards and smartphone apps allow real-time IoT device monitoring and control. The interactive web dashboard displayed solar panel data. Track electrical properties and sunshine intensity. IoT devices influence solar tracker decisions and promote sustainable energy.Keywords: IoT solar tracker, Blynk application, NodeMCU ESP8266