Design and Development of the Use of Solar Panels With a Dual-Axis Sunlight Tracking System for Improved Solar Energy Harvesting

Abstract

The prevailing method for collecting energy involves the use of stationary solar panels. However, this approach has limitations as the panels are fixed, lacking adjustability and mobility. Additionally, the amount of solar energy this approach captures depends on the intensity of sunlight, which varies due to the sun’s movement across the sky. This study aimed to design and develop a solar tracker for improved solar energy harvesting. This paper used multiple methods, such as experimental and comparative analysis research design. A 5-hour testing was conducted for two consecutive days to determine the significant differences between the dual-axis solar tracker and a fixed solar panel in harvesting energy. After two days of testing in sunny and cloudy weather conditions, the developed dual axis solar tracker was 5.03% more effective at voltage generation than fixed solar panels.

The study also found that efficiency is significantly better on sunny days, and productivity is lower on cloudy days due to the decreased sunlight. Voltage gain is also increased during peak hours of the day. At 2:00 PM, the tracker was found to have produced 28.01 at its highest and 11.8 voltages at its lowest. The fixed panels produced 26.22 (10.54 at its lowest) for comparison. The findings revealed that the dual-axis solar tracker can significantly enhance overall performance compared to the fixed system and that the efficiency is significantly better on sunny days than on cloudy ones.