Sun Tracking Solar Panel using Microcontroller

How to make Sun Tracking Solar Panel

With the passing of each day of mankind on this planet Earth, the resources of non renewable energy are also vanishing very quickly. The day is not so far when man is only left with renewable energy resources. Well, in present scenario, there are end numbers of renewable energy resources are available out there. Producing electricity from sun is one of them. Nowadays, installing solar panels at offices, home etc is a very common trend. But making Sun Tracking Solar Panel is not as easy as you think. It requires lots of technical skills in order to produce maximum output in appropriate manner.

In this modern era, Sun Tracking Solar Panel is one of the most advanced technologies used for producing electricity. In this model, solar panels are installed under the direct sunlight so that they can absorb energy from the sun and store it in the battery. That stored energy can be used for different applications when required. While installing solar panels you must need to aware that all the solar panels should rotate properly as per sunlight direction. Proper solar panel rotation can only be achieved by using sun tracking microcontrollers or Arduino Uno board (for beginners). Most of the Sun Tracking Solar Panel contains following below given components-

• Few solar panels (depends on need)
• two LDRs
• Stepper motor
• Light dependent resistor
• Motor driver IC
• ATMEGA8 micro controllers

Principle of Sun Tracking Solar Panel :

In a medium size solar panel plant, generally more than two light dependent resistors are installed at the corners of the solar panels so that these resistors can produce low resistance at the time when sunlight falls on them. On the other hand, the stepper motor is also connected with the solar panels. This stepper motor actually helps solar panel in rotating towards the sunlight direction. With the help of stepper motor, solar panel rotates at certain angle and this angle is determined by LDRs. When intensity of light on the left LDR is more, solar panel moves in left direction and when the intensity of light on the right LDR is more, solar panel slowly moves in right direction. At the noon time, both the LDRs have the same intensity and hence there is no rotation in solar panel.
Along with above mentioned circuit, there is a battery connected with the solar panel that stores the light produced by solar cells.

You may also like to watch FM transmitter circuit.

Few Advantages of using Sun Tracking Solar Panel :

1. By using a Sun Tracking Solar Panel, the solar energy produced by sun can be increased since it will improve the direction of incident rays to perpendicular to the solar panel..
2. More electricity could be produced by solar panels is free of cost which results in saving lot of hard-earned money.
3. Sun tracking based solar plant produces more electricity as compared to other types of solar panels like permanent and adaptable panels.

Various Applications of Sun Tracking Solar Panel :

1. Automated solar panels can be used to power the street as well as traffic lights.
2. Sun Tracking Solar Panel can also be used in home, schools and factories to power the electric appliances.