A Project Report On

Dual Axis Solar Tracker System

Under the Course “Environmental Project” (SH2602)

Submitted by

Second Year B. Tech. (Computer Engineering)

Sr. No. Student Name Enroll. No.

1. Dipali Appasaheb Yelur 1903093

2. Srushti Arvind Killedar 1903094

3. Anushka Ashok Dhotre 1903096

4. Payal Prakash Patil 1903112

Under the Guidance of

Prof. Mrs. S. C. Bedage

Prof. Mrs. A. S. Gavade

Computer Engineering Department

K. E. Society’s
Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, Rajaramnagar
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur)

2020-21

1
 K. E. Society’s
Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, Rajaramnagar
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that below mentioned students of S.Y.B.Tech. (computer) have

successfully completed the project entitled “Dual Axis Solar Tracker System” under the
course “Environmental Project” (SH2602). The content of this report, in full or in parts, have
not been submitted to any other institution or university for the award of any degree.

Sr. No. Student Name Enroll. No.

1. Dipali Appasaheb Yelur 1903093

2. Srushti Arvind Killedar 1903094

3. Anushka Ashok Dhotre 1903096

4. Payal Prakash Patil 1903112

Prof. Mrs. S. C. Bedage Prof. Dr. N.V Dharwadakar

Project Guide Head, Comp. Engg.Dept.

Place : R.I.T., Rajaramnagar

Date :

DECLARATION

2
 We, the undersigned, the students of S. Y. B. Tech. (Automobile) hereby declare that
the project the project entitled “Dual Axis Solar Tracker System” under the course
“Environmental Project” (SH2602)is a genuine work conducted by us through practical on–
site observations, and the data collected by us is true to the extent of our awareness.

Sr. No. Student Name Enroll. No. Signature

1. Dipali Appasaheb Yelur 1903093

2. Srushti Arvind Killedar 1903094

3. Anushka Ashok Dhotre 1903096

4. Payal Prakash Patil 1903112

5.

Place : R.I.T., Rajaramnagar

Date :

3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We have taken efforts in this “Dual Axis Solar Tracker System” project. However, it would
not have been possible without the kind support and help of many individuals and online
materials. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of them.

We are highly indebted to ‘Prof. Mrs. S. C. Bedage’ and ‘Prof. Mrs. A. S. Gavade’ for their
guidance and constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information regarding
the project & also for their support in completing the project. We would like to express our
gratitude towards our friends and family for their kind co-operation and encouragement
which help me in completion of this project.

My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleague in developing the project and people
who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.

4
 Contents
Chapter No. Content Page No.

Chapter 1 Introduction 6
1.1 Preamble 7
1.2 Background Study / Literature Study 8,9
1.3 Problem Statement 10
1.4 Project Objectives 11
1.5 Time Frame 12
Chapter 2 Methodology 13
Chapter 3 Result and Discussions 14

3.1 Implemented prototype 14,15

3.2 Code and components 16 to 18

3.3 Analysis 19

3.4 Photographs 20,21

Chapter 4 Conclusion 22

Chapter 5 Future Scope 23

References 24

5
 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

With the unavoidable shortage of fossil fuel sources in the future, renewable types of energy
have become a topic of interest for researchers, technicians, investors and decision makers all
around the world. New types of energy that are getting attention include hydroelectricity,
bioenergy, solar, wind and geothermal energy, tidal power and wave power. Because of their
renewability, they are considered as favorable replacements for fossil fuel sources. Among
those types of energy, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is one of the most available resources.
This technology has been adopted more widely for residential use nowadays, thanks to
research and development activities to improve solar cells’ performance and lower the cost.
According to International Energy Agency (IEA), worldwide PV capacity has grown at 49%
per year on average since early 2000s.Solar PV energy is highly expected to become a major
source of power in the future. However, despite the advantages, solar PV energy is still far
from replacing traditional sources on the market. It is still a challenge to maximise power
output of PV systems in areas that don’t receive a large amount of solar radiation. We still
need more advanced technologies from manufacturers to improve the capability of PV
materials, but improvement of system design and module construction is a feasible approach
to make solar PV power more efficient, thus being a reliable choice for customers. Aiming
for that purpose, this project had been carried out to support the development of such
promising technology. One of the main methods of increasing efficiency is to maximise the
duration of exposure to the Sun. Tracking systems help achieve this by keeping PV solar
panels aligned at the appropriate angle with the sun rays at any time. The goal of this project
is to build a prototype of light tracking system at smaller scale, but the design can be applied
for any solar energy system in practice. It is also expected from this project a quantitative
measurement of how well tracking system performs compared to system with fixed mounting
method.

6
 1.1 PREAMBLE

The goal of this thesis was to develop a laboratory prototype of a solar tracking system,
which is able to enhance the performance of the photovoltaic modules in a solar energy
system. The operating principle of the device is to keep the photovoltaic modules constantly
aligned with the sunbeams, which maximizes the exposure of solar panel to the Sun’s
radiation. As a result, more output power can be produced by the solar panel. The work of the
project included hardware design and implementation, together with software programming
for the microcontroller unit of the solar tracker. The system utilized an ATmega328P
microcontroller to control motion of two servo motors, which rotate solar panel in two axes.
The amount of rotation was determined by the microcontroller, based on inputs retrieved
from four photo sensors located next to solar panel. At the end of the project, a functional
solar tracking system was designed and implemented. It was able to keep the solar panel
aligned with the sun, or any light source repetitively. Design of the solar tracker from this
project is also a reference and a starting point for the development of more advanced systems
in the future.

7
 1.2 Background Study / Literature Study

Firstly, a review of extant literature was conducted to draw up a trajectory of where we are
in the efficiency map, therefore it was found that the current efficiency of dual axis tracking
configuration is about 35-43%. Secondly, from the above review, a generic functional model
of how an efficient and effective tracking system should be is presented. The two
components, coevolving, shall be used to inform the design and development of an efficient
solar tracker.

Peter Gevorkian in his book “Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design, 2009”
have written about solar tracking systems. In his book stated that tracking systems are support
platforms that orient solar PV module assemblies by keeping track of the sun’s movement
from dawn to dusk, thus maximizing solar energy power-generation efficiency. He also wrote
the type of solar tracker. Trackers are classified as passive or active and maybe constructed to
track in single or dual axis. Single axis trackers usually have a single axis tilt movement,
whereas dual axis system trackers also move in regular intervals, adjusting for an angular
position. In general, single axis tracker, compared with fixed stationary tilted PV support
systems, increase solar power capture by about 20-25 percent. Dual axis trackers, on the other
hand can increase solar power production by 30-40 percent. The book stated not much
information about solar trackers. It only stated about it in general, it is enough if it just for
information but it is not enough knowledge to do project about solar trackers. The languages
that have been used in this book are a bit more complicated for ordinary people that have no
engineering education background.

Since the sun moves across the sky throughout the day, in order to receive the best
angle of exposure to sunlight for collection energy. A tracking mechanism is often
incorporated into the solar arrays to keep the array pointed towards the sun. A solar tracker is
a device onto which solar panels are fitted which tracks the motion of the sun across the sky
ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight strikes the panels throughout the day. When
compare to the price of the PV solar panels, the cost of a solar tracker is relatively low. Most
photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are fitted in a fixed location- for example on the sloping roof
of a house, or on framework fixed to the ground. Since the sun moves across the sky though
the day, this is far from an ideal solution.

A Solar Tracker is basically a device onto which solar panels are fitted which tracks the
motion of the sun across the sky ensuring that the maximum amount of sunlight strikes the
panels throughout the day. After finding the sunlight, the tracker will try to navigate through
the path ensuring the best sunlight is detected. In methods of tracker mount there are two kind
of it, first is single axis solar tracker and other one is double axis solar tracker. Single axis
solar trackers can either have a horizontal or a vertical axle. The horizontal type is used in
tropical regions where the sun gets very high at noon, but the days are short. The vertical type
is used in high latitudes where the sun does not get very high, but summer days can be very
long. The single axis tracking system is the simplest solution and the most common one used.

Double axis solar trackers have both a horizontal and a vertical axle and so can track
the Sun's apparent motion exactly anywhere in the World. This type of system is used to
8
control astronomical telescopes, and so there is plenty of software available to automatically
predict and track the motion of the sun across the sky. By tracking the sun, the efficiency of
the solar panels can be increased by 30-40%.The dual axis tracking system is also used for
concentrating a solar reflector toward the concentrator on heliostat systems.

For method in drive there are three methods, that is active tracker, passive tracker and
chronological tracker. Active Trackers use motors and gear trains to direct the tracker as
commanded by a controller responding to the solar direction. Light-sensing trackers typically
have two photo sensors, such as photodiodes, configured differentially so that they output a
null when receiving the same light flux. Mechanically, they should be omnidirectional (i.e.
flat) and are aimed 90 degrees apart. This will cause the steepest part of their cosine transfer
functions to balance at the steepest part, which translates into maximum sensitivity.

Next is Passive Trackers use a low boiling point compressed gas fluid that is driven to
one side or the other (by solar heat creating gas pressure) to cause the tracker to move in
response to an imbalance. The last one is Chronological Tracker counteracts the earth's
rotation by turning at an equal rate as the earth, but in the opposite direction. Actually, the
rates aren't quite equal, because as the earth goes around the sun, the position of the sun
changes with respect to the earth by 360° every year or 365.24 days.

So, to get more efficiency of absorb the energy, active tracker is most suitable to be
using in worldwide. But this type of tracker is use microcontroller as a controller where it
easy to get faulty either in data collecting and present the data to motor. By using Lab View,
it more accurate because is interface with the user by using the computer as a medium.
Computer is more suitable to collect the data and present it.

9
 1.2 Problem Statement
“There was a difficulty of developing tracking schemes capable of following the
trajectory of the sun throughout the course of the day on year-round basis.”

10
 1.3 Project Objectives

1. To design and fabricate a dual axis PV system that tracks the sun path.
2. To study different solar parameters and methods of harvesting solar energy.
3. To understand the working mechanism of PV module and tracking system
4. To develop a solar panel tracking system.
5. Track the sun across the sky within a 5º margin of error.
6. Ability to manually rotate the tracker with the use of a controller along the full
ecliptic.
7. The apparatus should also be able to display the power output of each cell.

11
 1.4 Time Frame

Activities/ Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week
Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Topic
finalization
and
its review
Literature
Review

Synopsis
presentation
Project
material
Working on
project
Report
submission
1.5

12
 CHAPTER 2. METHODOLOGY

The miniature prototype tracker was constructed using materials like Aurdino UNO, LDR’s,
resistors, jumper wires, servo motors and solar panel. To enable dual-axis rotation, the panels
were stuck onto a particle board base slightly larger in dimensions than the panels using
double-sided tape. The LDRs were placed on the centres of all four sides of the board and
also at the centre of the whole board.

On the side opposite to the makeshift shaft, a hole was made near the edge to attach the
servomotor horn which would enable East-West movement of the panels. Terminals of the
panel and LDRs were taken out from the bottom of the base by making holes at appropriate
places. This assembly was then mounted upon another particle board base with the help of
two vertical supports, one on each side. On one side, the support had a hole where the shaft
would be inserted and allowed to protrude a little to ensure attachment. While the other
support had the TowerPro servomotor fit onto it, the servo horn was then passed through the
hole on the base to complete single axis rotation assembly. The electronic components i.e.,
Arduino consisting of resistors and other pin connections were placed on the particle board
base. To incorporate the second axis of rotation another servomotor (SG90) was used, which
rotated the whole single axis assembly. To achieve this, the servomotor was first mounted on
a wide particle board base to ensure that there was enough support to keep the servomotor
upright. Next, the center of the bottom side of the particle board base was marked and
double-sided tape was stuck forming a Plus sign. Then the Plus-horn was fixed to the
servomotor and the motor was stuck to the base.

Resistance of LDR depends on intensity of the light and it varies according to it. The higher
is the intensity of light, lower will be the LDR resistance and due to this the output voltage
lowers and when the light intensity is low, higher will be the LDR resistance and thus higher
output voltage is obtained. A potential divider circuit is used to get the output voltage from
the sensors (LDRs). The LDR senses the analog input in voltages between 0 to 5 volts and
provides a digital number at the output which generally ranges from 0 to 1023. Now this will
give feedback to the microcontroller using the Arduino software(IDE).The servo motor can
be controlled by this mechanism.

The tracker finally adjusts its position sensing the maximum intensity of light falling
perpendicular to it and stays there till it notices any further change. The sensitivity of the
LDR depends on point source of light. It hardly shows any effect on diffuse lighting
condition.

13
 Chap 3. Result and Discussions

In this Dual Axis Solar Tracker, when source light falls on the panel, the panel adjusts its
position according to maximum intensity of light falling perpendicular to it. The objective of
the project is completed. This was achieved through using light sensors that are able to detect
the amount of sunlight that reaches the solar panel. The values obtained by the LDRs are
compared and if there is any significant difference, there is actuation of the panel using a
servo motor to the point where it is almost perpendicular to the rays of the sun.

3.1 Implemented prototype:

The solar panel is initially placed flat on the mechanical structure. The panel captures the entire light
incident on it and converts it into electrical energy with the help of semiconductor layers.

The charge controller, connected directly to the panel, stabilizes the electrical output in order to
minimize any fluctuations in the voltage and current values. The charge controller feeds the battery
which is charged to its maximum potential.

The Arduino is responsible for all the logical calculations that are required for the system to perform
as expected. A 9-Volt battery is used to power the Arduino, which takes analog input from LDRs and
provides power to the servomotors.

Depending upon the position of the sun, the Arduino analyses the signals received from the LDRs.
Depending on which of the two LDRs has lighter incident on it, its resistance and hence the
magnitude of current flowing into the Arduino will vary. This variation is then translated into the
input signals for the motors. The servomotors, which are connected to the shaft that has the panel
mounted on it, are responsible for dual axis movement of the panel.

This causes the panel to tilt in the direction of the LDR offering the least resistance and thus, ensures
that there is maximum light incident on the panel. This significantly increases the quantity of light
energy captured and converted into electricity.

14
15
3.2 Code and components:

Code for dual axis solar tracker:

#include <Servo.h> //including the library of servo motor

Servo myservo;

int initial_position = 90;

int LDR1 = A0; //connect The LDR1 on Pin A0

int LDR2 = A1; //Connect The LDR2 on pin A1

int error = 5;

int servopin=9; //You can change servo just makesure its on arduino's PWM pin

void setup()

myservo.attach(servopin);

pinMode(LDR1, INPUT);

pinMode(LDR2, INPUT);

myservo.write(initial_position); //Move servo at 90 degree

delay(2000);

void loop()

int R1 = analogRead(LDR1); // read LDR 1

int R2 = analogRead(LDR2); // read LDR 2

int diff1= abs(R1 - R2);

int diff2= abs(R2 - R1);

if((diff1 <= error) || (diff2 <= error)) {

} else {

16
 if(R1 > R2)

initial_position = --initial_position;

if(R1 < R2)

initial_position = ++initial_position;

myservo.write(initial_position);

delay(100);

Key Components used for making the circuit:

(1) ARDUINO UNO-

The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328. Arduino is an open-
source, prototyping platform and its simplicity makes it ideal for hobbyists to use as well as
professionals. The Arduino Uno has 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as
PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack,
an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the
microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-
DC adapter or battery to get started.
The Arduino Uno differs from all preceding boards in that it does not use the FTDI USB-to-
serial driver chip. Instead, it features the Atmega8U2 microcontroller chip programmed as a
USB-to-serial converter.
"Uno" means one in Italian and is named to mark the upcoming release of Arduino 1.0. The
Arduino Uno and version 1.0 will be the reference versions of Arduino, moving forward. The
Uno is the latest in a series of USB Arduino boards, and the reference model for the Arduino
platform.

(2) LDR’s-

17
  It is a photo-resistor is a device whose resistivity is a function of the incident
electromagnetic radiation. Hence, they are light sensitive devices. They are also called
as photo conductors, photo conductive cells or simply photocells.
 They are made up of semiconductor materials having high resistance.
 LDR works on the principle of photo conductivity.

Photo conductivity is an optical phenomenon in which the material’s conductivity is

increased when light is absorbed by the material.
The most common type of LDR has a resistance that falls with an increase in the light
intensity falling upon the device (as shown in the image above). The resistance of an LDR
may typically have the following resistances:
Daylight = 5000Ω
Dark = 20000000Ω

(3) SERVO MOTOR-

A DC servo motor consists of a small DC motor, feedback potentiometer, gearbox, motor

drive electronic circuit and electronic feedback control loop. It is more or less similar to the
normal DC motor.
The stator of the motor consists of a cylindrical frame and the magnet is attached to the inside
of the frame.
A brush is built with an armature coil that supplies the current to the commutator. At the back
of the shaft, a detector is built into the rotor in order to detect the rotation speed.
With this construction, it is simple to design a controller using simple circuitry because the
torque is proportional to the amount of current flow through the armature.

18
3.3 Analysis:

There are several benefits that solar energy has and which make it favourable for many uses.

Benefits:
• Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source.
• Once a solar panel is installed, the energy is produced at reduced costs.
• Whereas the reserves of oil of the world are estimated to be depleted in future, solar
energy will last forever.
• It is pollution free.
• Solar cells are free of any noise. On the other hand, various machines used for
pumping oil or for power generation are noisy.
• Once solar cells have been installed and running, minimal maintenance is required.
Some solar panels have no moving parts, making them to last even longer with no
maintenance.
• On average, it is possible to have a high return on investment because of the free
energy solar panels produce.
• Solar energy can be used in very remote areas where extension of the electricity
power grid is costly.

Demerits:
• Solar panels can be costly to install resulting in a time lag of many years for savings
on energy bills to match initial investments.
• Generation of electricity from solar is dependent on the country’s exposure to
sunlight. That means some countries are slightly disadvantaged.
• Solar power stations do not match the power output of conventional power stations of
similar size. Furthermore, they may be expensive to build.
• Solar power is used for charging large batteries so that solar powered devices can be
used in the night. The batteries used can be large and heavy, taking up plenty of space and
needing frequent replacement.

FINALLY,
As the merits are more than the demerits, the use of solar power is considered as a clean and
viable source of energy. The various limitations can be reduced through various ways.

19
3.4 Photographs for implemented prototype:

connections to the Arduino Uno

servo motor connected to the solar panel

20
connections at the other side of solar panel
through wires

21
 LDR's connected to the solar panel

CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSION

In this 21st century, as we build up our technology, population & growth, the energy
consumption per capita increases exponentially, as well as our energy resources (e.g. fossils
fuels) decrease rapidly. So, for sustainable development, we have to think alternative
methods (utilization of renewable energy sources) in order to fulfil our energy demand.
In this project, Dual Axis Solar Tracker, we’ve developed a demo model of solar tracker to
track the maximum intensity point of light source so that the voltage given at that point by the
solar panel is maximum. After a lot of trial and errors we’ve successfully completed our
project and we are proud to invest some effort for our society. Now, like every other
experiment, this project has couple of imperfections.
(i) Our panel senses the light in a sensing zone, beyond which it fails to respond.
(ii) If multiple sources of light (i.e. diffused light source) appear on panel, it calculates the
vector sum of light sources & moves the panel in that point.

This project was implemented with minimal resources. The circuitry was kept simple,
understandable and user friendly

22
 CHAPTER 5. FUTURE SCOPE

With the available time and resources, the objective of the project was met. The project is
able to be implemented on a much larger scale. For future projects, one may consider the use
of more efficient sensors, which should also be cost effective and consume little power. This
would further enhance efficiency while reducing costs. If there is the possibility of further
reducing the cost of this project, it would help a great deal. This is because whether or not
such projects are embraced is dependent on how cheap they can be. Shading has adverse
effects on the operation of solar panels. Shading of a single cell will have an effect on the
entire panel because the cells are usually connected in series. With shading therefore, the
tracking system will not be able to improve efficiency as is required.

23
 REFERENCES

https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/ioarvanit/dual-axis-solar-tracker-
panel- with-auto-and- manual-mode-41cfd9
https://theiotprojects.com/dual-axis-solar-tracker-arduino-project-using-
ldr-servo-motors
https://nevonprojects.com/dual-axis-solar-tracking-system-with-
weather-sensor//
http://www.sat-energy.com/real-time-sensing/
http://fypsaya.blogspot.com/p/my-proposal.html?m=1#:~:text=Problem
%20Statement,-There%20are%20many&text=Because%20of%20this
%20problem%2C%20the,panel%20to%20produce%20enough%20power
https://www.academia.edu/40541610/Final_Report_on_Dual_Axis_Sola
r_Tracking_System
https://rcciit.org/students_projects/projects/ee/2018/GR1.pdf
https://web.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-010713-
112634/unrestricted/Dual-Axis_Tracker_Report.pdf
https://www.slideshare.net/sweetswetansh/solar-tracker-report-swetansh
https://nevonprojects.com/dual-axis-solar-tracking-system-with-weather-
sensor

24