Modeling and Designing of Solar Tracking System using Arduino

Abstract

Solar energy is very important means of expanding renewable energy resources. In this paper is described the design and construction of a microcontroller based solar panel tracking system. Solar is a nonconventional source of energy, considering this we have developed solar panels so that we can fulfil our electricity need. But due to revolution of the earth, solar source i.e. sun does not face the panel continuously hence less electricity is produced. The energy panel should face the SUN till it is present in a day. The problem above can be solved by our system by automatic tracking the solar energy. Thispaper shows system architecture which consist of a LDR sensor senses max solar power which is being given to the ARDUINO which digitizes the LDR output. Controller then takes the decision according to then algorithm and tilts the panel towards the direction of the max energy given by LDR with the help of DC Motor. The Motor is used to rotate the LDR to sense the max solar power. A Solar Tracker is basically a device onto which solar panels are fitted which tracks the motion of the sun across the sky ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight strikes the panels throughout the day. After finding the sunlight, the tracker will try to navigate through the path ensuring the best sunlight is detected. It is completely automatic and keeps the panel in front of sun until that is visible. Its active sensors constantly monitor the sunlight and rotate the panel towards the direction where the intensity of sunlight is maximum.