Design and Implementation of Dual Axis Tracking System for Improving Efficiency of the PV Panel

Power demand has been increasing drastically at an alarming rate around the globe. Continuous search in finding a sustainable source paved the way for utilizing renewable resources in the power generation sector. Especially, the contribution of solar photovoltaics in supporting the residential and remote locations is massive. However, the output of solar modules could be reduced to a significant extent if it is not fully exposed to sunlight. This paper proposes a Dual Axis Tracking System to maximize the output of the PC arrays by positioning them at an optimized angle; so that the panels receive maximum irradiance around the clock. This feasibility study of employing Dual Axis Tracking Systems is composed of 2 stages; the first stage synergically adjusts the panels angle up to 1200 east-to-west by utilizing a light dependent sensor (LDR) and the utilization of a PIC 16F877 microcontroller embedded with and Stepper motors to align the angle of the PV array for the maximum output. The tracking system involves a better Sun position algorithm to calculate the solar zenith and azimuth angles. The second objective includes minimizing the amount of power required to operate the system, which involves choosing an appropriate low-power motors and efficient programs for the controller.