Performance evaluation of a hybrid dual-axis solar tracking system

Abstract

In a photo-voltaic solar energy system, solar tracking can harness more energy compared to a fixed system. This paper presents a design of a Manual/Automatic Hybrid Dual Axis Solar Tracking System that tracks the sun’s daily and seasonal motions. The hybrid tracker tries to ensure that the solar panel is always positioned perpendicular to the solar incident radiation by operating the tracker along two axes, of east to west (daily motion) and north to south (seasonal motion). The automatic tracking includes Time based Chronological Tracking and Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) based Active Tracking. Daily tracking is operated by a stepper motor while seasonal tracking is done manually by a gear system once a month. Results of the study show that the proposed hybrid dual- axis solar tracking system is capable of improving the overall energy efficiency by around 35%, over a fixed installation, in an economical manner.