Investigating the Performance of a Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System in a Tropical Climate

Abstract

This paper presents the design and implementation of a dual-axis solar tracker that allows the PV panel on which it is mounted to capture maximum solar energy throughout the day. The device tracks the azimuth and elevation angles of the Sun as it moves across the sky to maintain the PV panel perpendicular to sunlight at all times. Four light sensors are used for this purpose and an Arduino microcontroller processes their signals to actuate driving mechanisms that maintain the orthogonal position of the PV panel with respect to sunlight. The mechanical structure of the solar tracker is designed in such a way as to minimize its inherent energy consumption so that the overall energy performance is optimized. The prototype is tested in the tropical island of Mauritius. Previous studies have shown that the energy performance of solar tracking systems is highly dependent on the climate, with negligible energy gain achieved in very hot regions. Results indicate that improvements of 30.5% and 28.5% in the total energy output of the PV panel are obtained compared to a fixed PV panel on a cloudy and sunny day respectively.