Climate change, global warming, and rising fossil fuel pose significant challenges in present days across worldwide. To combat these issues, governments and organizations are promoting renewable energy sources, such as solar power, which converts sunlight into electricity or thermal energy. In the current scenario, static-oriented Photovoltaic (PV) panels are hampered by fluctuations in the sun's trajectory, leading to suboptimal solar energy conversion. To address these issues, this manuscript proposes a low-cost prototype of a two-axis solar tracker that integrates four optical sensor modules as feedback sensors and two direct current geared motors to maximize solar energy harvesting. Comparative analysis between a fixed-oriented PV panel and the solar tracker, using conventional on–off and artificial intelligence-based fuzzy logic control methods, verifies the two-axis solar tracker's performance. The fuzzy logic controller-based solar tracker net energy gains approximately 14.2% more power than the fixed-oriented PV panel daily and boasts an average tracking error of 0.29°, indicating its reliability.
SukhatmeSPNayakJK. Solar energy. Singapore: McGraw Hill Education, 2017.
2.
KannanNVakeesanD. Solar energy for future world: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev2016; 62: 1092–1105. ISSN 1364-0321.
3.
GreenMDunlopEHohl-EbingerJ, et al.Solar cell efficiency tables (version 57). Prog Photovoltaics Res Appl2021; 29: 3–15.
4.
WuTQinZWangY, et al.The main progress of Perovskite solar cells in 2020–2021. Nano-Micro Letters2021; 13: 1–18.
5.
RacharlaSRajanK. Solar tracking system—a review. Int JSustain Eng2017; 10: 72–81.
6.
MuhammadJYUJimohMTKyariIB, et al.A review on solar tracking system: a technique of solar power output enhancement. Eng Sci2019; 4: 1–11.
7.
JamroenCPannawanASirisukprasertS. Battery energy storage system control for voltage regulation in microgrid with high penetration of PV generation. In 2018 53rd International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC) (pp.1–6). IEEE. 2018, September.
8.
JamroenCUsaratniwartESirisukprasertS. PV power smoothing strategy based on HELES using energy storage system application: a simulation analysis in microgrids. IET Renew Power Gener2019; 13: 2298–2308.
9.
OcłońPCisekPKozak-JagiełaE, et al.Modeling and experimental validation and thermal performance assessment of a sun-tracked and cooled PVT system under low solar irradiation. Energy Convers Manage2020; 222: 113289.
10.
HafezAZYousefAMHaragNM. Solar tracking systems: technologies and trackers drive types—a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev2018; 91: 754–782.
11.
AlhajriKAl JahdhamiMAEl-SalehAA. An overview on solar tracking systems. In Proceedings of the Asia Conference on Electrical, Power and Computer Engineering (pp.1–6). 2022, April.
12.
AwasthiAShuklaAKSRMM, et al.Review on sun tracking technology in solar PV system. Energy Reports2020; 6: 392–405.
13.
PulunganABSonLSyafiiS. A review of solar tracker control strategies. Proc Electr Eng Comput Sci Informatics2018; 5: 319–323.
14.
MousazadehHKeyhaniAJavadiA, et al.A review of principle and sun-tracking methods for maximizing solar systems output. Renew Sustain Energy Rev2009; 13: 1800–1818.
15.
MpodiEKTjiparuroZMatsebeO. Review of dual axis solar tracking and development of its functional model. Proc Manufac2019; 35: 580–588.
16.
Fuentes-MoralesRFDiaz-PonceAPeña-CruzMI, et al.Control algorithms applied to active solar tracking systems: a review. Sol Energy2020; 212: 203–219.
17.
ChowdhuryMEKhandakarAHossainB,et al.A low-cost closed-loop solar tracking system based on the sun position algorithm. J Sensors2019; 2019: 1–12.
18.
Frydrychowicz-JastrzębskaGBugałaA. Solar tracking system with new hybrid control in energy production optimization from photovoltaic conversion for Polish climatic conditions. Energies2021; 14: 2938.
19.
ZhangJYinZJinP. Error analysis and auto correction of hybrid solar tracking system using photo sensors and orientation algorithm. Energy2019; 182: 585–593.
20.
OmranAHAbidYMAhmedAS, et al.Maximizing the power of solar cells by using intelligent solar tracking system based on FPGA. In 2018 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET) (pp.1–5). IEEE. 2018, February.
21.
SinghAKChauhanYSharmaNK. Comparative performance analysis of intelligent controllers for solar tracking system. Mater Today Proc2022; 65: 3731–3740.
22.
SkouriSAliABHBouadilaS, et al.Design and construction of sun tracking systems for solar parabolic concentrator displacement. Renew Sustain Energy Rev2016; 60: 1419–1429.
23.
HammadBKFouadRHAshhabMDS, et al.Adaptive control of solar tracking system. IET Sci Meas Technol2014; 8: 426–431.
24.
JamroenCKomkumPKohsriS, et al.A low-cost dual-axis solar tracking system based on digital logic design: design and implementation. Sustain Energy TechnolAssess2020; 37: 100618.
25.
AbdollahpourMGolzarianMRRohaniA,et al.Development of a machine vision dual-axis solar tracking system. Sol Energy2018; 169: 136–143.
26.
MustafaFIShakirSMustafaFF,et al.Simple design and implementation of solar tracking system two axis with four sensors for Baghdad city. In 2018 9th International Renewable Energy Congress (IREC) (pp.1–5). IEEE. 2018, March.
27.
HaririNGAlMutawaMAOsmanIS, et al.Experimental investigation of azimuth-and sensor-based control strategies for a PV solar tracking application. Appl Sci2022; 12: 4758.
28.
SabranRUFajardoAC. Sunflower inspired solar tracking strategy: a sensorless approach for maximizing photovoltaic panel energy generation. In 2018 IEEE 10th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment and Management (HNICEM) (pp.1–6). IEEE. 2018, November.
29.
FathabadiH. Novel high accurate sensorless dual-axis solar tracking system controlled by maximum power point tracking unit of photovoltaic systems. Appl Energy2016; 173: 448–459.
30.
LoonCMDaudMZ. Sensorless dual axis solar tracker using improved sun position algorithm. Int J Power Electron Drive Syst2020; 11: 1305.
31.
SanyalAAhmedMFMohantaJC. Recent developments and challenges in solar harvesting of photovoltaic system: a review. In: LiXRashidiMMLatherRSRamanR (eds) Emerging trends in mechanical and industrial engineering. Lecture notes in mechanical engineering. Singapore: Springer, 2023b, 251–275. 10.1007/978-981-19-6945-4_18.
32.
GaoYWuDDaiZ, et al.A comprehensive review of the current status, developments, and outlooks of heat pipe photovoltaic and photovoltaic/thermal systems. Renew Energy2023; 207: 539–574. ISSN 0960-1481.
33.
HerrandoMWangKHuangG, et al.A review of solar hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) collectors and systems. Prog Energy Combust Sci2023; 97: 101072. ISSN 0360-1285.
34.
TariqueWBUddinA. A review of progress and challenges in the research developments on organic solar cells. Mater Sci Semicond Process2023; 163: 107541. ISSN 1369-8001.
35.
MondalSHaldarSRoyS. Recent advancements in the harvesting and storage of solar energy. In: Elias S (ed) Reference module in earth systems and environmental sciences. Elsevier, 2023, pp.1–15. ISBN 9780124095489. 10.1016/B978-0-323-93940-9.00001-3.
36.
TaşerAKundakcı KoyunbabaBKazanasmazT. Thermal, daylight, and energy potential of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems: a comprehensive review of effects and developments. Sol Energy2023; 251: 171–196. ISSN 0038-092X.
37.
DuffieJABeckmanWABlairN. Solar engineering of thermal processes, photovoltaics and wind. John Wiley & Sons, 2020.
38.
SanyalAAhmedMFMohantaJC. Recent developments and challenges in solar harvesting of photovoltaic system: a review. In: Emerging trends in mechanical and industrial engineering: select proceedings of ICETMIE 2022. Singapore: Springer, 2023a, pp.251–275.
39.
RisiIAmakiriATasieN. Arduino UNO controlled robotic radar system object detector using ultrasonic sensor. Am J Eng Res2020; 9: 01–08.
40.
PatcharaprakitiNPremrudeepreechacharnSSriuthaisiriwongY. Maximum power point tracking using adaptive fuzzy logic control for grid-connected photovoltaic system. Renew Energy2005; 30: 1771–1788.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
