Pilot Evaluation of a Low Cost Fully Mechanical Solar Tracker Using Swiss Lever Mechanism

Although solar energy has become the primary source of increasing access to electricity in rural areas, espe-cially for developing nations, maximising their efficiency with a tracking system is still widely discouraged. Furthermore, current tracking system designs are inconsiderate of end-user capabilities. This paper presents the pilot evaluation of a mechanical tracking system, designed to be fabricated with a wide range of material choices and allow utilisation irrespective of user skill. The tracker uses a fully mechanical system to rotate at a fixed speed, maintained by a swiss lever mechanism. Pilot evaluation shows a 28.65% possible increase in energy generation during peak solar hours.