Automatic solar tracking system using DELTA PLC

Energy and environment are the major problems in today's world. Renewable energy is the only solution to meet power demand as the conventional energy sources are not only limited but also the main culprit for environmental pollution. Solar energy is the primary source of renewable energy in developing the power deficient. But solar panels are less efficient in developing the power due to its fixed panel arrangement. So, many tracking methods are developed to track the sun among them some are less precise in control, some are complex in control system, and some are unable to track the sun during certain whether conditions. In this paper, automatic solar tracking system is implemented using DELTA PLC which tracks the sun more effectively with its simple and precise control structure in all environmental conditions. The automatic solar tracker maneuvers solar panel towards the sun to extract maximum energy during the day time. The tracking is done by programmed light intensity of the panel with the help of LDR sensors and magnetic reed switches, which controls the speed and direction of the dc gear motor attached to the solar panel through mechanical structure and gear arrangement by programming in PLC. The power generation obtained from the proposed PV system increases about 25% with power consumption of the tracker when compared with the power generation obtained from the conventional solar PV system. This can be implemented for a grid connected PV system in order to increase the generation of power. It can also be used to compensate power demand and to obtain high economic returns within shorter duration of time.