Single Axis Solar Tracking System

Abstract

This paper is about the design and development of a microcontroller based solar tracking system. Solar energy is rapidly becoming an alternative means of electrical source in Kenya and all over the world and the solar energy becomes profitable when the solar rays are tracked with its maximum efficiency. The best way to get the maximum power output of solar array is by sun tracking. Usually, solar panels are steady and always the front faces the direction the sun rises from and it evident from the stationary mounted panels we see on buildings and other solar plants, this causes less amount of light incident on the panel. When we use the solar tracker system, it will move in the direction of the sun and get more amount of light incident. The great benefits of solar energy is that it is sustainable, highly reliable and requires little maintenance. Therefore, came up a system that deals with the design and construction of solar tracking system, whereby the solar panel follows the sun as it moves. The project is based on a microcontroller which controls the system by communicating with sensors and motor based on movement of the sun, the system employs light dependent resistors that will vary their resistance depending on the light intensities, light dependent resistors give output to the Arduino every time and Arduino processes the data and sends a control signal to the motor. Through the design, implementation, testing and results of the project, an efficient way of increasing the production of solar power is demonstrated