A Solar Panel Tracking System Repair Using Additional Mass

Position Adjustment

Ericson Rajagukguk
Panca Budi University Electrical Engineering Study Program, Medan, Indonesia
Author correspondence:ericson.rajagukguk98@gmail.com

Abstract.This study aims to obtain an effective solar panel tracking

mechanism using energy-efficient electric actuators. Furthermore, we
designed and implemented a semi-active solar tracking system. A
tracking system is proposed to control solar panel orientation using a
moving mass, a spring system, and an actuator. The weight of the
moving mass and the spring constant are optimized to reduce actuator
size. A stepper motor was used for this case. This electric drive is not
the primary mover of the solar tracker; hence, it works against mass
elements lighter than solar panel weight as used in the active solar
tracker. Experimental results suggest that the average power required
by the stepper motor is 0.21% of the energy generated by the solar
tracking system.

Keywords: Energy consumption, Additional mass position, Output power, Semiactive,

Solar tracking.

Abstract. This research aims to obtain an effective solar panel tracking

mechanism using energy-saving electric actuators. Next, we design and
implement a semiactive solar tracking system. A tracking system is
proposed to control the orientation of solar panels using moving
masses, spring systems, and actuators. The moving mass weight and
spring constant are optimized to reduce the actuator size. Stepper
motors are used for this case. This electric drive is not the primary drive
of the solar tracker; hence, it works against elements of mass lighter
than the weight of solar panels such as those used in active solar
trackers. Experimental results show that the average power required by
the stepper motor is 0.21% of the energy produced by the solar tracking
system.

Keywords:Energy consumption, Additional mass position, Output power,

Semiactive, Solar tracking.

Received January 07, 2022; Revised February 2, 2022; March 22, 2022
* Ericson Rajagukguk,ericson.rajagukguk98@gmail.com
Solar Panel Tracking System Improvements Using Additional Mass Position Adjustment

BACKGROUND
Solar energy is a renewable energy source that is used to generate electricity.
It is estimated that solar energy can provide approximately 27,000 times the
energy produced from all other energy sources [1]. In addition, the earth's
surface receives an average of 600 W/m2/day of solar radiation [2].
Solar panels have the disadvantage of low power output (less than 20%
efficient); hence, conventional applications are limited [3]. Solar panels have low
efficiency, and this is a significant challenge that hinders the development and
use of solar energy. The output power of solar cells is determined by several
factors, namely temperature, radiation level, and angle of sunlight [4]. Using a
solar tracking system is a viable alternative to maximize energy production. This
system can adjust the orientation of the solar module and align it with the
direction of sunlight; hence, the module always faces the sun even though its
position changes throughout the day [5].
Solar tracking designs generally use actuators consisting of electric motors
to form the prime mover. This tracking system has good performance;
however, this requires relatively more electrical power because it is the main
driver that works directly against the force of gravity on the sun tracking
system. This research proposes a new solar tracking system design
consisting of a moving mass-based orientation control. The electric drive in
this system is designed to work against a lighter mass element than the solar
panels in an active tracking system.

THEORETICAL STUDY

Solar Tracking System

A solar tracker is a device used to point solar panels towards the sun.
An ideal tracker allows the solar panel cells to face the sun. This can
change the solar module's elevation angle (during the day), latitude
(during seasonal changes), and azimuth angle. Based on the direction of
movement, solar trackers are classified into single-axis and dual-axis
trackers. Meanwhile, passive (mechanical) and active (electric) tracking
methods classify this system based on the movement of the tracker [6].

Both systems have advantages and disadvantages related to installation and

operation. Cost, reliability, energy consumption, maintenance and overall
performance are different parameters for analyzing such systems [7].

Dual-axis trackers are relatively complex but more efficient because they
track the sun on both axes. This is the best choice for locations that have
seasonal variations in the sun's position throughout the year. Single-axis
trackers are more suitable for places around the equator without significant
changes in the position of the sun throughout the year [8].

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e-ISSN: 2963-7805; p-ISSN: 2963-8208, Pages 07-15

Passive Tracking (mechanical)

Passive tracking, also known as mechanical tracking, is a sunlight
tracking method that has been used for a long time; It works based on
thermal expansion. This system works by joining two bimetallic strips
and forming a memory alloy. Solar heating causes an imbalance,
causing the tracker to move
Passive solar tracking works based on the thermal expansion of the
combination of two bimetallic strips made of aluminum and steel. The
two strips have different coefficients of thermal expansion, causing
imbalance and making movement easier [6].
The concept of induced thermal expansion has also been used for dual-axis
passive tracking systems. This is based on the length expansion of the material when
exposed to sunlight.
The measurement process uses three thin flat vertical strips of
different orientations, reinforced with levers to allow tracking of sunlight.
Using such a measurement-based tracking system can increase solar
panel power production by 28% [11].

Active Tracking (electricity)

Active solar trackers or electric solar tracking systems use motor- and
gear-based electric actuators to change the orientation of solar panels,
as shown in Figure 2. The value and direction tracking control signals
serve as input to the motor. Motor drive control can be implemented
using a microprocessor or Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based
on available sensors or data. These trackers are classified into two
groups based on the direction of movement: single-axis and dual-axis
trackers.

Figure 1. Active solar tracker [6]

Single-axis active tracking systems use solar panels to track the sun
from east to west using a single pivot point, such as that
Solar Panel Tracking System Improvements Using Additional Mass Position Adjustment

shown in figure 2. A single-axis tracking system generally consists of

two LDR sensors placed on either side of the panel. Several studies on
single-axis tracking system actuators show that system control can be
implemented using a microcontroller that drives a DC motor, stepper
motor, or servo motor [12-20].
Dual-axis trackers are another active tracking system that tracks the sun
from east to west and north to south using two pivot points. The dual-axis
tracking system uses four LDR sensors, two motors and a controller. The LDR
sensor faces four different directions; a motor is used to tilt the tracker east-
west of the sun. Sensors and other motors are installed at the bottom of the
tracker to tilt the tracker to the north-south direction of the sun. With such a
system, the level of solar radiation on the panels can be maintained above 140
w/m2 [21].

RESEARCH METHODS
specification

This research proposes a technique to control the orientation of solar

panels using the unbalanced gravitational force on the solar panels due to
the movement of the added mass.
The center of mass positioning works using a stepper motor-based electric
drive which is energy efficient, practical and easy to operate. This electric
drive is not the primary drive of the solar tracker. Therefore, it does not work
against solar trackers. However, it works against a mass that is lighter than
the weight of the solar panel. This working mechanism is expected to
guarantee higher energy efficiency of solar panels. Figure 4 depicts the
stepper motor-based ball screw mechanism used for this research. The
NEMA17HS4401 stepper motor is used with the A4988 stepper driver.
Arduino Uno
+ The CNC Shield controller uses G-code
programming language (computer numerical control (CNC) programming
language), as shown in Figure 5. Tables 1 and 2 list the specifications of the
stepper motors and solar panels used for this research.

Picture. 2 Ball screw with stepper motor mechanism for solar tracker

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Journal of Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical and Informatics Engineering (JTMEI)
Vol.1, No.1 March 2022
e-ISSN: 2963-7805; p-ISSN: 2963-8208, Pages 07-15

Figure 3 Arduino Uno +CNC Shield controller

Design

Semi-active control for the solar panel orientation control platform

will be implemented with mass and spring stiffness parameters. The
mass added to the platform has a variable position, and its stiffness is
set constant. The design of the solar tracker system in this research is
shown in Figure
6. The additional mass is placed on the ball screw connected directly to the
stepper motor. The added mass can be replaced with a different weight,
as needed. The position of the mass is changed by adjusting the stepper
motor via a stepper driver with an Arduino Uno controller and CNC Shield.

Mass position shifts occur in five positions, ranging from 1 to 5. Each position
consists of two hours of downtime. The distance between the two positions is 10
cm, adjusted to the path length of the ball screw. Each change in mass position
changes the orientation of the solar panels, as shown in Table 3. The solar panel
voltage and current were measured between 07:00 and 16:30. Measuring the
voltage and current of the solar tracker is needed to determine the effectiveness
of adding mass to the tracking system.

Experimental setup

Two solar panels rated at 50 Wp were used for this experiment. One panel is
installed in a fixed position; there is no change in orientation between 07.00 and
16.30. This panel is installed to measure output.
This experiment begins by adjusting the position of the load with a ratio between
the additional mass and the weight of the solar system (m/mp) = 30%. The five mass
positions are separated by 10 cm each. Distance (r) relative to half the path length (r/
0.5rt). This position change is carried out based on timing. The mass transfer causes
a change in the orientation of the solar panels. Spring stiffness
Solar Panel Tracking System Improvements Using Additional Mass Position Adjustment

is k=200 N/m. This is determined based on the force in the solar panel
system due to the angular acceleration caused by the additional mass of
2 kg. This experiment uses a digital protractor to measure angles at each
position. This experiment aims to ensure that the stepper motor-based
ball screw used in the solar tracker mechanism has low energy
consumption and is not affected by additional mass and position
changes. Therefore, the experimental setup was carried out by varying
additional mass of kg, 1 kg, and 2 kg or m/mp, equivalent to 7.5%, 15% and
30%.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Ball screw based solar trackers are used to install solar panels. Identical 50 Wp
solar panels installed and measured simultaneously. Experimental results such
as voltage, current, and power consumption for stepper motor operation are
detailed in Table 3.

W (66.58 Wh) more than the fixed system power of 5.79 W (55.03 Wh). The
increase in efficiency using a tracker system can be calculated by comparing the
difference in output power. Thus, the tracker system provides 21% more
efficiency than the fixed system. The energy consumption of a stepper motor is

0.14 Wh, or 0.21% of the energy produced by the tracking system, as

shown in Table 3.

The operating time of the stepper motor at each additional mass position shows
the corresponding energy consumption. All pairs of positions are separated by the
same distance, as described in the design section. The shift in position from five to
one shows the change in the position of the solar panels west-east during the day.
Figure 8 depicts a schematic of additional mass positioning.

Figure 4. Additional mass positioning scheme

Average power 5.87 W. This motor operates based on predetermined timing only
during the additional mass transfer process. The experimental results show that
the power required by the stepper motor is not affected by the increase in mass
and the position of the mass in the path. The results showed that the stepper
motor rotated the ball screw, not directly moving the solar panel platform. This
strategy better reduces the energy consumption of the actuator by adjusting the
orientation of the solar panels using minimal power. The solar panel output
power was measured between 07.00 and 16.30.

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e-ISSN: 2963-7805; p-ISSN: 2963-8208, Pages 07-15

The measurement results are shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11.

Furthermore, Table 4 explains that the power required by the stepper
motor is not influenced by the addition of mass and track position.
Experimental data shows that the stepper motor in the application of semi-
active tracking mechanism is effective. The average output power of the
tracking system is 7.01

Picture. 5 Comparison of solar panel output voltage for fixed and fixed systems
tracker

Figure 6. Comparison of solar panel currents for fixed and tracking systems
 Solar Panel Tracking System Improvements Using Additional Mass Position Adjustment

Table 1 Stepper motor power consumption for different additional mass

values
m/mp=7.5% m/mp=15% m/mp= 30%

Bruise Power
At the moment
Positio Voltage Power At the moment Voltage At the moment Voltage
saan aan n
(A (V) (P) (A (V) (P) (S.E (V) (P)
AH AH) BU
AH
)
)
1-2 0.12 12.50 1.50 0.12 12.50 1.50 0.12 12.50 1.50
2-3 0.13 12.28 1.60 0.12 12.28 1.60 0.13 12.28 1.60
3-4 0.14 12.42 1.74 0.14 12.42 1.74 0.14 12.43 1.74
4-5 0.16 11.52 1.96 0.15 11.52 1.96 0.17 11.52 1.96
5-1 0.24 11.51 2.76 0.23 11.51 2.76 0.24 11.52 2.76
 These results show that the power consumption of the tracker system is less than
[27], which then becomes an alternative solution for developing a solar tracker
system with low actuator power consumption.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This study contributes to knowledge by comparing the performance of solar

panels with and without tracking systems. The additional mass-based solar tracker
provided 21% more power output than the fixed system during the measurement
period. The research results show that the power consumption of the stepper motor
as an actuator is 0.14 Wh or 0.21% of the power generated using the tracker system.

These results indicate that the application of stepper motors to the tracking
mechanism is effective. This study lists the solutions implemented for active and
passive sun tracking. In addition, the experimental results complement the
simulations in
[29] used a semi-active control method with mass, stiffness, and damping
used as dynamic parameters.

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