Automated Solar Tracker Utilizing RTC Timing for Enhanced Photovoltaic Energy Generation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjorae.2024.0102.05Keywords:
Microcontroller,, RTC Timing Device,, Solar Photovoltaic,, Automatic solar tracking,, data logger.Abstract
The problems of energy scarcity and global warming brought the interest of developing strategies for harnessing renewable energy resources. Solar energy is among the most promising sources of renewable energy. Solar trackers significantly improve a photovoltaic (PV) systems electricity production. In this research work, an automated solar tracker with data logger has been designed and constructed. This automatic tracking system consists of two parts: hardware and software. Hardware part includes voltage regulators; RTC timing device, LCD display, WIFI module, relay circuit and DC motors, while, the software part contained an Arduino programming codes used for tracking system and logging the measured solar PV data. The Atmega328 microcontroller contained in the Arduino board was used to receive the input analog signal from the RTC device which was converted to digital and gives the command to the DC motor to rotate the solar PV panel towards the sun direction. The tracker solar PV panel was tested, and it was found that the solar panel reached maximum power generated from the hour of 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. A fixed PV panel of same size was also placed side by side and tested with the solar tracking system. The result from tracked PV panel shows an efficiency increase of about 33% over the non-tracking panel. These results indicated that the automatic solar tracker would be recommended for use in solar power generation because it increases the efficiency of the solar power generated, and it is cost-effective.
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