Design and Simulation of Dual-Axis Solar Tracking Systems

Photovoltaic (PV) devices are now increasingly being deployed all over the globe. However, a fixed PV module is usually used in installations, utilizing pre-specified angles obtained through geographical positioning. Thus, due to the variance in solar energy as the day and the seasons a year changes, the power produced by PV systems drops dramatically. This paper suggests the design, simulation of a dual-axis solar tracker where the solar module easily moved on two (2) axis of rotation to monitor the sun's progress from east to west and from north to south in order to optimize solar energy generation. The tracking system is configured as an adaptive tracking system based on closed-loop monitoring, and the use of Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensors as device inputs, servo motors as module adjusters, Arduino Uno as the brain of the system. Voltage, current and power readings collected at alternate time of the day from the dual-axis Solar Tracker and compared with readings obtained from stationary solar module at same time when the reading of the other module was taken. The results showed that the method of automated solar tracking is accurate and effective. The electricity produced by the proposed tracking device has an average increase of approximately 26-27% more than the fixed PV system.