Solar Panel Tracking Research Articles

Solar-Powered EV Battery Charging and Payment System

Abstract: This innovative project is focused on harnessing solar energy efficiently to power electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. It employs a single-axis solar panel tracking system to follow the sun's path and optimize energy capture. The collected solar energy is stored in a high-capacity battery, ensuring uninterrupted charging, even during periods of limited sunlight. Users have the convenience of managing their accounts through a user friendly mobile app, providing real-time cost updates and secure payment options. The EV charging station maximizes the use of stored solar energy for vehicle charging, reducing reliance on the conventional power grid. Additionally, the system incorporates detailed billing and usage history features to enhance transparency and efficiency, ultimately creating an eco-conscious transportation ecosystem that integrates renewable energy and sustainable EV charging.

Dual-Axis Solar Tracker

Solar energy is becoming a popular technique to develop sustainable energy sources. Engineering professionals must understand the technologies involved. Solar panel tracking system design and construction are covered in this project. Solar tracking orients the solar array toward the sun, increasing energy output. This system expands on course topics. Solar energy feasibility requires solar array system efficiency optimization. Solar array systems can be improved by sun tracking. This method keeps a solar array facing the sun at all times. Solar modules cleanly turn sunshine into energy in remote areas, solving the power generating problem. The solar tracker designed for this project is reliable and affordable for aligning a solar module with the sun to maximize energy output. Hardware/software hybrid prototype Automatic Sun Tracking System improves solar panel alignment with the sun to maximize energy production and inspire design. Problems and solutions will be discussed.

Energy Production Optimization by Positioning of Solar Panels and Surveillance System with Cleaning of Panels

The pursuit of efficient and sustainable energy generation has led to the widespread adoption of solar panels. However, the optimal performance of these panels can be hindered by factors such as dirt accumulation, suboptimal orientation, and security concerns. To address these challenges, we propose an integrated Solar Panel Tracking, Cleaning, and Surveillance System (SPTCSS). Our system employs advanced tracking technology to optimize solar panel orientation, ensuring maximum exposure to sunlight throughout the day. Additionally, it incorporates automated cleaning mechanisms, utilizing water and brushes to remove dust, debris, and other contaminants, thereby maintaining peak efficiency. Furthermore, the surveillance aspect of the system provides real-time monitoring and security features, safeguarding against theft, vandalism, and unauthorized access. Through a network of sensors and cameras, any anomalies or suspicious activities can be promptly detected and addressed. By integrating tracking, cleaning, and surveillance functionalities into a single system, our solution offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing the performance, longevity, and security of solar panel installations. This not only maximizes energy generation but also minimizes maintenance requirements and mitigates risks, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and reliable renewable energy infrastructure

An Efficient Off-grid Express Cabinet Based on Wind-solar Hybrid Power Generation System

In order to effectively solve the shortcomings of traditional express cabinets such as limited service places and seasonal power supply obstacles, this paper studies an off-grid express cabinet using wind-solar complementary principle, which is mainly composed of near-ground and low-speed wind power generation device, solar photovoltaic battery pack, controller, battery pack and DC load. The double-axis tracking solar panels or fixed photovoltaic panels can be used for different regions. At the same time, it can be combined with a near-ground and low-speed wind power generation device to provide a stable power supply for the express cabinets. By programming the control, the power generated by wind-solar hybrid power generation is provided to the load as a priority. The remaining electric energy is stored in the battery pack. The system effectively overcomes the disadvantages of limited-service locations and unstable power supply caused by seasonal barriers in traditional express cabinets. It has the advantages of energy-saving, environmental protection, short payback period, and wide range of supply.

Improvement the effectiveness of multi-directional low weight solar panel tracking system based on dC relay

Rotating prototypes are utilized to track the sun path and allow solar panels to head towards the sun as long as possible, to growing additional solar power and increasing their efficiency. Therefore, to develop the suggested prototype for Advanced Virtual RISC microcontrollers, the paper suggests that instead of traditional materials like Iron and plastics, it would be possible to use foam polyvinyl chloride material. It can withstand more heat and is capable of reducing the design's weight and energy consumption in comparison to different materials. Furthermore, this work proposes that the sun position tracking is adjusted through a switch operates in a direct current relay to minimize the effects of energy expenditure in control circuits and motors. Consequently, the aforementioned operation will lead to improve the total power system and to set an optimum period for peak direct current relay. Lastly, the advantages of combining solar cells in a series on output voltage from panels are discussed in this work. The experiments revealed that the proposed prototype is more efficient than a static solar system in absorbing higher sunlight, with an average power increase of 34 %. In addition, measurements have shown that the optimal duration of a suggested tracking system can be discretized every 20 minutes in order to achieve maximum efficiency i.e. 34 %. In contrast to a system that monitors continuously, an optimum discretizing time period minimizes 89% of the power used by the moving and microcontroller units.

Fuzzy Logic Control System for Optimizing Dual-Axis Solar Panel Tracking

The utilization of solar energy through solar panels has gained considerable attention in renewable energy applications. However, the effectiveness of energy conversion is hindered by the misalignment of solar panels with the incident sunlight. To address this issue, a dual-axis solar tracker system is proposed to automatically adjust the orientation of solar panels, enhancing energy generation efficiency. This research introduces a novel approach using a fuzzy logic control system to regulate the movement of stepper motors responsible for adjusting the solar panel positions. The system relies on input data from Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensors to detect the sunlight’s position. Additionally, voltage, current, and angle sensors are integrated to accurately determine the solar panels angular position. The fuzzy logic control system employs the Mamdani method with Mean of Maximum (MOM) defuzzification. A comprehensive analysis of the systems performance was conducted, demonstrating that the manual calculations yielded 0.87 and 0.59 micro steps, while the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) produced 0.35 and 0.26 micro steps. These results were verified through the serial monitor in the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE). This research focuses on the development of a microcontroller-based two-axis solar panel control system using fuzzy logic. The system’s primary objective is to maximize solar energy utilization by ensuring that solar panels consistently align with the direction of sunlight, both vertically and horizontally. The proposed system offers an effective means of enhancing the efficiency of solar panel energy generation by continuously optimizing their alignment with the incident sunlight.

Performance and Economic Analysis of Designed Different Solar Tracking Systems for Mediterranean Climate

Solar power occupies a significant position among global renewable energy sources due to its abundant energy potential. Consequently, its contribution to electricity generation is steadily increasing. However, obtaining peak efficiency from fixed solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is a formidable task due to their limited ability to consistently tap into solar energy. To tackle this issue and mitigate energy efficiency losses, the utilization of solar tracking systems has emerged as an exceptionally effective solution. These systems enable continuous adjustment of the panels’ position to align with the sun’s trajectory, optimizing energy absorption and enhancing overall performance. This paper presents the performance and cost analysis of three distinct solar panel tracking systems, namely, a fixed system, a single-axis system, and a dual-axis system. The systems are operated under identical coordinates and conditions. The production data are collected over a period of 15 days for comparative analysis. The tracking movements of the systems are controlled using Arduino. The mechanical components are specifically designed for the establishment of each system. The findings of this study indicate that both single-axis and dual-axis solar tracking systems outperformed fixed systems in terms of power generation. The single-axis system demonstrated a 24.367% increase in power production, while the dual-axis system showed a 32.247% increase compared to the fixed system. Moreover, a cost analysis was carried out considering the installation expenses and power production data of the three systems. It was determined that the single-axis tracking system achieved payback in 0.39 years less compared to the fixed system, while the dual-axis system achieved payback in 1.48 years less compared to the fixed system. Overall, this study underscores the advantages of implementing solar tracking systems, particularly in the single-axis and dual-axis configurations, as they contribute to higher power generation and cost-effectiveness compared to fixed systems.

PVT panel efficiency enhancement with cooling methods and sun tracking

Solar energy is the most abundant and easily available renewable source of electricity. However, the installed solar panels may not always provide the optimal amount of energy because of the changing position of the sun from east to west. This study focused on extending the research and development of a model for a dual-axis solar panel tracking system with a cooling mechanism. The primary objective of this mechanism is to program the Arduino board in a way that ensures continuous alignment of the panel direction and Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensors with the sun's rays. Direct Current (DC) motors were employed to adjust the panel direction accordingly. Sustained exposure to sunlight can lead to reduced efficiency when the panel is heated. To counteract overheating, an improved cooling system was implemented utilizing water and a pump arrangement to enhance the productivity of the panel. Water is sprayed or sprinkled using various Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) techniques, effectively maintaining the solar panel temperature at an optimal level. This mechanism can be enhanced by integrating a Real-Time Clock (RTC) to accurately track the direction of the sun. This ensures that the panel remains properly positioned even in the event of a power outage, enabling the utilization of solar energy for electrical purposes. This research focuses on developing an efficient solar panel tracking system with a cooling mechanism to maximize the energy output and address temperature-related efficiency issues. The integration of advanced features such as RTC further enhances the reliability and usability of the system.

Design of Solar Panel Tracking Control System

This paper analyzes the overall scheme design, circuit design and PLC control program design of the system, and expounds the application research of realizing the conversion of solar energy to electric energy based on PLC control technology. With the development of economy and the progress of society, people put forward higher and higher requirements for energy. Finding sustainable development and green energy is one of the major issues facing mankind in this century and beyond. Developing new energy sources and making full use of existing energy sources have received great attention from scientists all over the world. As an inexhaustible and clean energy, solar power generation will get unprecedented development. With the development and industrialization of solar energy technology, its cost performance and efficiency will be greatly improved. Therefore, this design has high feasibility, practicality and energy conservation and environmental protection value.

Design and development of 10 WP Solar panel tracking system based on RTC and Arduino

Currently, the use of solar panels in Indonesia is still in a stationary position (static) so that the absorption of sunlight is less than optimal due to frequent weather, cloudy weather, and during the afternoon until the afternoon the sun’s light has turn back/or is not parallel to the solar panels. To obtain optimal electrical energy, the solar panel systems must be equipped with a control-systems and equipped with an RTC (Real Time Clock) sensor module which functions to provide real time data/or components to adjust the direction of the surface of the solar panel so that it always faces the sun at a given angle (tracking based on the movement of the earth) so that the energy from the sun’s ray can completely fall to the surface of the solar panel. And from the data obtained on December 13, 2021, the output produced by a 10 Wp solar panel tracking system for 9 (nine) hours with a 5 Watt lamp load produces a total power of 3.392 Wh while a non-tracking 10 Wp solar panel produces a total power of 19.658 Wh and the difference between the two 10 Wp solar panels is 15.732 Wh.

Simulation regarding solar panel tracking system based on Sun’s position

The following article describes a tracking system to keep a solar panel aligned with the Sun. It was designed in Matlab using Simulink. The model consists in a panel, a motor and a controller which is used to track the position of the Sun. The physical system is based of two equations of motion, one for the panel and the other one for the motor. The purpose of building the tracking system is keeping a maximum intensity of producing electricity during all day.

Feasibility of solar tracking and fixed topologies considering the estimated degradation and performance of photovoltaic panels

Solar tracking maximizes the amount of electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) panels throughout the day. Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand the effects of the topology on the degradation of PV modules. Thus, a methodology is described in this paper to predict changes in the degradation and performance over the lifetime of PV panels according to solar tracking topology. A technical and economic analysis of an experimental system built in UFSM (Santa Maria-RS, Brazil) is used to discuss typical configurations with and without solar tracking. Computational simulations were performed in the OpenDSS, Matlab and Homer programs for a period of 25 years. The results show an increase up to 2.43% in the accumulated degradation at the end of the simulated period by using a solar panel tracking compared to the fixed topology. In compensation, solar tracking increased annual electricity generation by an average of 20.87% proving that this topology is technically and economically quite feasible. • A methodology to predict the durability and performance of PV panels with solar tracking and fixed topologies. • A solar tracking system stands out as an excellent alternative to maximize PV energy generation. • Detailed technical and economic analysis between performance and durability relationship in a PV panels installation. • Fuzzy logic modeling as an innovative solution to find out the degradation rate of PV panels with solar tracking.

Microcontroller based Automatic Sun Tracking Solar Panel

The solar industry is a worth billions of dollars industry. This produces 20 GW of power, which is insufficient for processing. Every day, the Sun brightens the globe by irradiating a massive amount of energy, the bulk which one is lost or not utilized as a result of improper solar panel installation the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy is significantly higher when the solar panel is constantly placed 90 degrees to the sun. To build an automatic solar panel using ATMega328 controller, we'll use two Light sensors (Light dependent resistors) to detect light and a servo motor to spin the solar panel in the position of the sun rays. The benefit of this concept is that the solar panel will constantly track light from the sun and will regularly charge when facing the sun, and offer the maximum amount of power.

DUAL AXIS SOLAR PANEL USING ARDUINO

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.

Perbaikan Sistem Pelacakan Panel Surya Menggunakan Penyesuaian Posisi Massa Tambahan

This study aims to obtain an effective solar panel tracking mechanism using energy-efficient electric actuators. Furthermore, we designed and implemented a semi-active solar tracking system. A tracking system is proposed to control solar panel orientation using a moving mass, a spring system, and an actuator. The weight of the moving mass and the spring constant are optimized to reduce actuator size. A stepper motor was used for this case. This electric drive is not the prime mover of the solar tracker; hence, it works against mass elements lighter than solar panel weight as used in the active solar tracker. Experimental results suggest that the average power required by the stepper motor is 0.21% of the energy generated by the solar tracking system. The results indicate that the proposed solar panel tracker works satisfactorily to control solar panel orientation.

Intelligent Computing and Control Framework for Smart Automated System

This paper presents development and analysis of different control strategies for smart automated system. The dynamic role of an electrical motor and sensor interfacing with wireless module becomes an essential element in a smart agriculture system to monitor various environmental parameters. The various key parameters such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, soil health and solar radiation are widely used to analyze the growth of plants and soil health based on different climate conditions. However, the smart development of an automatic system to measure these vital parameters provides a feasible approach and helps the farmers to monitor their crops productivity. In this paper, a smart sensor based intelligent and automatic control strategies such as fuzzy logic controller and PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller is developed to collect the real time environmental parameters and to adapt any environmental conditions by updating their membership functions automatically with the help of sensor outputs. This paper targets to bring the usage of sensor-based intelligent and automatic control methods in the field of an agriculture system which includes automatic solar panel tracking and control, environmental vital parameters measurement, monitoring and implementation of intelligent control methods. The different experiments have been carried out with the support of graphical and microcontroller programming environment. Experimental results provide that the proposed system effectively measure the environmental parameters and provide an accurate transmission of data for continuous monitoring. The advantage of the proposed system is simple, easy to implement and maintain the dynamic environment for plants with respect to any climate conditions.

IMPROVEMENT OF A SOLAR PANEL TRACKING SYSTEM USING ADDITIONAL MASS POSITION ADJUSTMENT

This study aims to obtain an effective solar panel tracking mechanism using energy-efficient electric actuators. Furthermore, we designed and implemented a semi-active solar tracking system. A tracking system is proposed to control solar panel orientation using a moving mass, a spring system, and an actuator. The weight of the moving mass and the spring constant are optimized to reduce actuator size. A stepper motor was used for this case. This electric drive is not the prime mover of the solar tracker; hence, it works against mass elements lighter than solar panel weight as used in the active solar tracker. Experimental results suggest that the average power required by the stepper motor is 0.21% of the energy generated by the solar tracking system. The results indicate that the proposed solar panel tracker works satisfactorily to control solar panel orientation.

Arduino Based Solar Tracking System for Energy Improvement of PV Solar Panel

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 a 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.

Agrobot

Advancement in recent technology introduces the agriculture robotics. These robots can be harvesting stage, pesticide spraying, weed control, automatic milking and many other applications. These robots can replace the human labour and improve the production rate. To meet up the future demands and to overcome the disadvantages of the traditional methods, a agrobot that can do seed sowing along with soil testing process with automatic sun tracking solar panel manner is proposed in this paper. The agrobot will move around various ground contours, digs the ground, sows the desired number of seeds and cover it with the soil. This agrobot also do the soil testing process and the results of soil testing process can be viewed in the mobile phones through Blynk Application. This paper gives the complete installation details of the agricultural robot. This proposed agrobot is able to sow the seed, monitors the soil temperature, moisture content along with the automatic sun tracking solar panel.

Monitoring and Optimizing Solar Power Generation of Flat-Fixed and Auto-Tracking Solar Panels with IoT System

In this work, the integration of recent digital technology of Internet of Things (IoT) with solar energy management was made to monitor real-time data of panel voltage (Vpv) and current (Ipv) of the solar panel. The solar panels were installed in Kelantan, Malaysia and this integrated solar power plant with IoT was developed with hardware setup and virtually tested to enhance the tracking behaviour of the proposed system. The comparison of different tilt angle of solar PV shows that solar PV facing the sun perpendicularly (45°) generated higher power generation compared to flat-fixed (0°). Whilst, by comparing fixed angle (45°) and auto tracking solar panel, the power generation recorded can reach up to double performance value (230 W) compared to 170 W generated from 45° fixed angle of solar PV. The IoT-based control of solar power significantly improves the performance of monitoring and maintenance of the power plant parameters with ease monitoring, cost-effectiveness and 24/7 remotely controlled.