AUTOMATIC SOLAR TRACKER

MINOR PROJECT REPORT

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the

degreeof

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

By

MAYANK UPRETI SACHIN KUMAR SACHIN TYAGI

03814804915 05814804915 05914804915

Under the guidance of

Ms. JYOTI GUPTA

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, EEE

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

MAHARAJA AGRASEN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(AFFILIATED TO GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTHA UNIVERSITY, DELHI)
DELHI-110086
November, 2018

1
DECLARATION

It is hereby certified that the work which is being presented in the B. Tech Minor Project report
entitled "AUTOMATIC SOLAR TRACKER" in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology (Electrical & Electronics Engineering)
submitted in the Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering of MAHARAJA
AGRASEN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh
Indraprastha University, Delhi) is an authentic record of our own work carried out under the
guidance of Ms Jyoti Gupta .

The matter presented in the B. Tech Minor Project report has not been submitted by us for the
award of any other degree or diploma of any other University/Institute.

Date:

II
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the minor project entitled "AUTOMATIC SOLAR TRACKER" being
submitted by “Mayank Upreti 03814804915, Sachin Kumar 05814804915, Sachin Tyagi
05914804915” to the Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering of MAHARAJA
AGRASEN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Delhi (Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh
Indraprastha University, Delhi) for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology
(Electrical & Electronics Engineering) in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, is a bonafide
project work carried out by him/them under my supervision and guidance. Their work have
reached the standard of fulfilling the requirements of regulations relating to degree. The project
report is an original piece of work and embodies the findings made by the students themself.
The results presented have not been submitted in part or in full to any other University/Institute
for the award of any degree or diploma.

Ms Jyoti Gupta Prof. (Dr.) Rajveer Mittal

Assistant Professor,EEE H.O.D (EEE)

(Signature of Internal Examiner) (Signature of External Examiner)

III
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the very outset, We like to record our heartfelt gratitude to our respected teacher and mentor
Ms. Jyoti, Assistant Professor for her valuable guidance and suggestion throughout our project
work..

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Prof. (Dr.)Rajveer Mittal, Head of the Electrical
& Electronics Engineering Department for his time to time suggestions to complete our project
work.

We are thankful to our mentor for her valuable guidance. We shall be failing in our duty if we do
not express thanks to all the faculty members and staff of Department of Electrical & Electronics
Engineering for providing m us the facilities to carry out our project work.

Mayank Upreti Sachin Kumar Sachin Tyagi

03814804915 05814804915 05914804915

IV
ABSTRACT

The aim of this project is to consume the maximum solar energy through solar panel. A Solar
Tracker is a device onto which solar panels are built-in which tracks the motion of the sun
ensuring that maximum amount of sunlight strikes the panels all over the day.
Power output from a solar cell will be maximum when it is facing the sun i.e. the angle between
its surface and sun rays is 90 degree. Solar tracking allows more energy to be produced because
the solar array is able to remain aligned to the sun. The components used for its construction are
servo motor, Arduino and LDR.

The active sensors continuously monitor the sunlight and alternate the panel towards the
direction where the intensity of sunlight is maximum. In this project, it’s divided by two
categories; hardware and software. In hardware part, 2 light dependent resistor (LDR) has been
used to trace the synchronize of sunlight by detecting brightness level of sunlight. For rotation
part, one standard servo motor has been selected. In software part, the code is constructed in C
programming and inserted in Arduino.

This project is designed for low power and portable application. Therefore, it’s suitable for rural
area usage. Moreover, the effectiveness of output power which collected by sunlight are
increased.

The overall solar tracking system consists of a mechanism that enables the PV panels
to follow or track the sun. The mechanical structure consists of one servo motor that
drives the mechanism.
The Automatic Sun Tracking System (ASTS) was made as a prototype to solve the
problem, mentioned above. It is completely automatic and keeps the panel in front of
sun until that is visible.
The unique feature of this system is that instead of taking the earth as its reference, it
takes the sun as a guiding source. Its active sensors constantly monitor the sunlight and
rotate the panel towards the direction where the intensity of sunlight is maximum.

Key words: Solar Tracker, Light Detecting Resistor (LDR), Arduino, Atmega 328, Servo Motor.

V
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
DECLARATION II
CERTIFICATE III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV
ABSTRACT V
TABLE OF CONTENTS VI
LIST OF FIGURES VII

CHAPTER

1. INTRODUCTION 8
1.1 LOSSES 9
1.2 TECHNOLOGY OF SOLAR PANEL 11

2. LITRERARY REVIEW 13
3. PROPOSED DESIGN 17
4. IMPLEMENTATION 18
4.1 COMPONENTS USED 18
4.1.1 ARDUINO UNO ATMEGA 19
4.1.2 LDR(LIGHT DETECTING RESISTOR) 20
4.1.3 MOTOR DRIVE L293 22
4.1.4 GEAR DC MOTOR 23
4.1.5 SOLAR PANEL 24
4.2 CODE USED 28

5. CONCLUSION AND EXPECTED OUTCOME 29

6. REFERENCES 30

VI
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

3.1 Block Diagram of Tracking System 18

4.1 Pin Diagram of Arduino Uno 21
Atmega 328
4.2 LDR(Light Detecting Resistor) 22
4.3 GEAR DC MOTOR 23
4.4 Circuit diagram with the required wiring connections. 26
4.5 After assembling the components with the proposed design and finalizing the
system with the required code. 27

VII
CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Renewable energy is energy which originates from natural source such as sunlight, tides, wind rain,
wave and etc. Solar Energy is the energy consequent from the sun through the form of solar
radiation. Solar energy is a very large, inexhaustible source of energy. Today solar energy is the
major eco-friendly & pollution less method of producing the electricity. The power from the sun
interrupted by the earth is approximately 1.8*1011MW, which is many thousands of times larger
than the current consumption rate on the earth of all commercial energy sources. The main objective
of this paper is to improve solar tracker. Solar Tracker is a Device which follows the movement of
the sun as it rotates from the east to the west each day. Using solar trackers upturns the amount of
solar energy which is received by the solar energy collector and develops the energy output of the
heat/electricity which is generated. The solar tracker can be used for more than a few applications
such as solar day lighting system, solar cells and solar thermal arrays. The commercial persistence
of solar tracker is rise solar panel output, maximum efficiency of the panel, able to grap the energy
throughout the day. At the present time, clean renewable energy sources attract a great attention as
an essential mean for solving the energy crisis around the globe. Solar energy is frequently offered
free of charge all over the world although it is not a continuous energy source. One of the most
promising renewable energy sources characterized by a huge potential of conversion into electrical
power is the solar energy. The green energy, also called renewable energy, has gained much
attention now a day. Some renewable energy types are solar energy, hydro potential energy,
terrestrial heat, wind energy, biomass energy, sea waves, temperature difference of sea, morning
and evening tides, etc. Among these, solar energy is one of the most useful resources that can be
used. However, so far the efficiency of generating electric energy from solar radiation is relatively
low. The main objective is to improve solar tracker. The solar tracker can be used for several
applications; these are solar cells, solar thermal arrays and solar day-lighting system. Nowadays, the
highest efficiency of solar panel is 19%. So, the efficiency can be enhancing by using solar tracker.
Albeit, the price of various solar tracker are still costly because solar tracker is still fresh and only a
few countries use it as South Korean and USA. Furthermore, this project is considered for rural area
which extreme from main supply and absolutely low cost.

Energy is the prime factor for the development of a nation. An enormous amount of
energy is extracted, distributed, converted, and consumed in the global society daily.
Eighty-five per cent of energy production is dependent on fossil fuels. The resources of the
fossil fuels are limited and their use results in global warming due to emission of
greenhouse gases (GHGs). To provide a sustainable power production and continuous
power resources for the future generations, there is a growing demand for energy from
renewable sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean tidal waves. Renewable
energy (RE) sources are the best-proven sources of energy. Solar energy is one of the
most abundant resources of RE. Energy from sun is perceptibly environmentally
advantageous in all respects.

To maximize the potential of solar energy we have to first understand about soar
distribution and factors affecting it. Sunlight has two components, the "direct beam"
8
that carries about 90% of the solar energy, and the "diffuse sunlight" that carries the
remainder – the diffuse portion is the blue sky on a clear day, and is a larger proportion of
the total on cloudy days. As the majority of the energy is in the direct beam,
maximizing collection requires the Sun to be visible to the panels for as long as possible.
However, please note that in more cloudy areas the ratio of direct vs. diffuse light can be
only 60%:40% or even lower.

The energy contributed by the direct beam drops off with the cosine of the angle
between the incoming light and the panel. In addition, the reflectance is approximately
constant for angles of incidence up to around 50°, beyond which reflectance degrades
rapidly

the amount of solar energy available for collection from the direct beam is the amount of
light intercepted by the panel. This is given by the area of the panel multiplied by the
cosine of the angle of incidence of the direct beam. Or put another way, the energy
intercepted is equivalent to the area of the shadow cast by the panel onto a surface
perpendicular to the direct beam.

This describes that the observed brightness of an object is proportional to the cosine of
the angle of incidence of the light illuminating it.

1.1 Losses

Not all of the light intercepted is transmitted into the panel - a little is reflected at its
surface. The amount reflected is influenced by both the refractive index of the surface
material and the angle of incidenceof the incoming light. The amount reflected also
differs depending on the polarization of the incoming light. Incoming sunlight is a
mixture of all polarizations. Averaged over all polarizations, the reflective losses are
approximately constant up to angles of incidence up to around 50° beyond which it
degrades rapidly. See for example the left graph.

9
1.1.1 Daily east-west motion of the Sun

The Sun travels through 360 degrees east to west per day, but from the perspective of
any fixed location the visible portion is 180 degrees during an average 1/2 day period
(more in spring and summer; less, in fall and winter). Local horizon effects reduce this
somewhat, making the effective motion about 150 degrees. A solar panel in a fixed
orientation between the dawn and sunset extremes will see a motion of 75 degrees to
either side, and thus, according to the table above, will lose over 75% of the energy in
the morning and evening. Rotating the panels to the east and west can help recapture
those losses. A tracker that only attempts to compensate for the east-west movement of
the Sun is known as a single-axis tracker.

1.1.2 Seasonal north-south motionof theSun

Due to the tilt of the Earth's axis, the Sun also moves through 46 degrees north and
south during a year. The same set of panels set at the midpoint between the two local
extremes will thus see the Sun move 23 degrees on either side. Thus, according to the
above table, an optimally aligned single-axis tracker (see polar aligned tracker below)
will only lose 8.3% at the summer and winter seasonal extremes, or around 5% averaged
over a year. Conversely a vertically or horizontally aligned single-axis tracker will lose
considerably more as a result of these seasonal variations in the Sun's path. For
example, a vertical tracker at a site at 60° latitude will lose up to 40% of the available
energy in summer, while a horizontal tracker located at 25° latitude will lose up to 33%
inwinter.

A tracker that accounts for both the daily and seasonal motions is known as a dual-axis
tracker. Generally speaking, the losses due to seasonal angle changes is complicated
by changes in the length of the day, increasing collection in the summer in northern or
southern latitudes. This biases collection toward the summer, so if the panels are tilted
closer to the average summer angles, the total yearly losses are reduced compared to a
system tilted at the spring/fall solstice angle (which is the same as the site's latitude).

There is considerable argument within the industry whether the small difference in
yearly collection between single and dual-axis trackers makes the added complexity of
a two-axis tracker worthwhile. A recent review of actual production statistics from
southern Ontario suggested the difference was about 4% in total, which was far less
than the added costs of the dual-axis systems. This compares unfavorably with the 24-
32% improvement between a fixed-array and single-axis tracker.

10
 1.1.3 Other factors
Clouds

The above models assume uniform likelihood of cloud cover at different times of day or
year. In different climate zones cloud cover can vary with seasons, affecting the
averaged performance figures described above. Alternatively, for example in an area
where cloud cover on average builds up during the day, there can be particular benefits
in collecting morning sun.

Atmosphere
The distance that sunlight has to travel through the atmosphere increases as the sun
approaches the horizon, as the sunlight has to travel diagonally through the atmosphere.
As the path length through the atmosphere increases, the solar intensity reaching the
collector decreases.

1.2 TECHNOLOGY OF SOLAR PANEL

Solar panels are defined as to convert light into electricity. They are called solar after the sun
because the sun is the best powerful source of the light obtainable for use. They are sometimes
called photovoltaic which means "light electricity". Solar cells or PV cells depend on the
photovoltaic effect to absorb the energy of the sun. Each solar cell provides a comparatively small
amount of power, a lot of solar cells spread over a large area can provide enough power to be
useful. To develop the most power, solar panels have to be pointed directly next to the Sun. A solar
panel is a collection of solar cells. The development of solar cell technology begins with 1839
examination of French physicist Antoine-Cesar Becquerel and he observed the photovoltaic effect
while experimenting with a compact electrode in an electrolyte solution. Subsequently he saw a
voltage developed when light fell upon the electrode. He used connections formed by coating
selenium (a semiconductor) with an extremely thin layer of gold. Crystalline silicon and gallium
arsenide are usual varieties of materials for solar panels. Gallium arsenide crystals are grown
especially for photovoltaic use, but silicon crystals are obtainable in less expensive standard ingots,
which are produced mostly for intake in the microelectronics industry.

1.2.1 MICROCONTROLLER BASED AUTOMATIC SOLAR TRACKER

Microcontroller based automatic sun tracker combined with a new solar energy conversion unit in
1998 .The automatic sun tracker was implemented with a dc motor and a dc motor controller. The
solar energy transformation unit involved of an array of solar panels, a step-up chopper, a single-
phase inverter, an ac mains power source and a microcontroller based control unit. High efficiency
was achieved through the automatic sun tracker and the MPP detector. In this system, the MPP
finding and the power conversion were realized by using the same hardware circuit. In the existed
MPP detectors, the detection of the MPP was achieved by using analog computing, comparing, and
holding. In compare to the existed ones, in the fresh system, the MPP was detected by software
which was embedded in a microcontroller.

11
 1.2.2 EVALUATION OF SOLAR TRACKER
Since the sun transfers across the sky through the day, in order to receive the best angle of exposure
to sunlight for collection energy. A tracking mechanism is frequently incorporated into the solar
arrays to keep the array pointed in the direction of the sun. A solar tracker is a device onto which
solar panels are fixed which tracks the motion of the sun across the sky ensuring that the extreme
amount of sunlight strikes the panels throughout the day. When relate to the price of the PV solar
panels, the cost of a solar tracker is comparatively low. Most photovoltaic solar panels are fitted in
a secure location- for example on the inclined roof of a house, or on framework fixed to the ground.
Since the sun moves across the sky and yet the day, this is far from an ideal solution. Solar panels
are usually set up to be in full direct sunshine at the medium of the day in front of South in the
Northern Hemisphere, or North in the Southern Hemisphere. Consequently morning and evening
sunlight triumphs the panels at an acute angle decreasing the total amount of electricity which can
be generated each day.

1.2.3 EMPHASIS ON CURRENT SCENARIO

So to increase the efiiciency we have to work on the solar tracker. A Solar tracker is a
device that orients a payload toward the Sun. Payloads are usually solar panels, parabolic
troughs, reflectors, lenses or the mirrors of a heliostat. It can be used for Parabolic
Trough tracker, Dishes tracker, PV (Photovoltaic generator) tracker, Heliostat, Solar
Furnace etc. For flat-panel photovoltaic systems, trackers are used to minimize the
angle of incidence between the incoming sunlight and a photovoltaic panel. This
increases the amount of energy produced from a fixed amount of installed power
generating capacity.In remote areas the sun is a cheap source of electricity because
instead of hydraulic generators it uses solar cells to produce electricity. While the
output of solar cells depends on the intensity of sunlight and the angle of incidence. It
means to get maximum efficiency; the solar panels1 must remain in front of sun during
the whole day. But due to rotation of earth those panels can’t maintain their position
always in front of sun. This problem results in decrease of their efficiency. Thus to get a
constant output, an automated system is required which should be capable to constantly
rotate the solar panel.

The Automatic Sun Tracking System (ASTS) was made as a prototype to solve the
problem, mentioned above. It is completely automatic and keeps the panel in front of
sun until that is visible. The unique feature of this system is that instead of taking the
earth as its reference, it takes the sun as a guiding source. Its active sensors constantly
monitor the sunlight and rotate the panel towards the direction where the intensity of
sunlight is maximum.

There are many different ways of generating electricity from the sun’s energy. The most
popular are photovoltaic (PV) panels, where silicon solar cells convert solarradiation to
electricity. Keeping the PV-panels perpendicular to the sun’s radiation maximizes
the output. The systems that are utilized for this movement are called solar trackers. The
solar trackers are also required for concentrating solar power applications to function. The
power incident on a photovoltaic (PV) module depends not only on the power contained in
the sunlight, but also on the angle between the module and the sun. When the absorbing
surface and sunlight are perpendicular to each other, the power density on the surface is
equal to that of the sunlight (in other words, the power density will always be at its
maximum when the PV module is perpendicular to the sun). However, as the angle
12
between the sun and a fixed surface is continually changing, the power density on a
fixed PV module is less than that of the incident sunlight. The amount of solar
radiation incident on a tilted module surface is the component of the incident solar
radiation which is perpendicular to the module surface.

The overall solar tracking system consists of a mechanism that enables the PV panels to
follow or track the sun. The mechanical structure consists of one servo motor that drives
the mechanism, LDR sensors for measuring light intensity, and a programmable
microcontroller responsible for giving electric signals to the motors in accordance to the
sun angle in order to achieve solar tracking (keeping the PV panel perpendicular to the
sunlight). Based on the system requirement tilt angle is provided of 25° angle
southwards. The feedback control system operation is based on servo mechanism
principles and the controller is responsible for the solar tracker motion.

Energy is the prime factor for the development of a nation. An enormous amount of
energy is extracted, distributed, converted and consumed in the global society daily.
85% of energy production is dependent on fossil fuels. To provide a sustainable power
production and safe world to the future generation, there is a growing demand for
energy from renewable sources like solar, wind, geothermal and ocean tidal wave. The
sun is the prime source of energy, directly or indirectly, which is also the fuel for most
renewable systems.

As the demands increases, Energy crisis becomes an important issue so to meet that
crisis it become an important step to generate energy through renewable sources as
efficient as possible. This not only help to cope increasingly demand but also helps to
lessen the dependency on conventional sources on energy.So, it is must to improve the
conventional way of extracting energy by increasing the efficiency of current methods.
So in this project we are devising a way to improve efficiency through solar tracking.

13
CHAPTER 2

LITERARY SURVEY

The solar tracking detector is the most recent field of development where the increase in
efficiency on current measures is taken palce.The heart of technology lies with the
concept of MPPT so this chapter helps in acknowledging about various scientist that
proposed their ideas on this field like Rizk J. and Chaiko [1] propose d tha t e nergy
crisis is the most important issue in today’s world. Conventional energy resources are not
only limited but also the prime culprit for environmental pollution. Renewable energy
resources are getting priorities in the whole world to lessen the dependency on
conventional resources. Solar energy is rapidly gaining the focus as an important means
of expanding renewable energy uses. Solar cells those convert sun’s energy into
electrical energy are costly and inefficient. Different mechanisms are applied to increase
the efficiency of the solar cell to reduce the cost.
Solar tracking system is the most appropriate technology to enhance the efficiency of
the solar cells by tracking the sun. increasing the cell efficiency, maximizing the power
output and employing a tracking system with solar panel are three ways to increase the
overall efficiency of the solar panel .
Improvement of solar cell efficiency is an ongoing research work and people throughout
the world are actively doing research on this. Maximizing the output power from solar
panel and integrating solar tracking system are the two ways where electronic design
methodology can bring success. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is the process
maximize the output power from solar panel by keeping the solar panel’s operation on the
knee point of P-V characteristics . A number of MPPT algorithms have been
developed and employed around the world.
MPPT technology only offers the maximum power that can be received from a stationary
array of solar panels at a particular time; it cannot, however, increase the power generation
when the sun is not aligned with the system.
While Filfil Ahmed Nasir,and Mohussen Deia Halboot[2] proposed that light-dependent
resistor (LDR): It is the light-depending resisters that have a particular property that they
can detect lightning intensity in which they have been stored. The cell resistance falls with
increasing light intensity. The sensitivity of a photo detector is the relationship between
the light falling on the device and the resulting output signal. In the case of a photocell,
one is dealing with the relationship between the incident light and the corresponding
resistance of the cell. » Microcontroller: The microcontroller is the brain of the tracker,
and it controls the tracking system. Basically, it receives input from the sensors,
specifying the position of the sun and in response, it sends signal to the motors that
are connected to the solar panel to move to the panel to the position of the sun in which
optimum solar rays could be received. The microcontroller is made up of software and
hardware components. The software component is basically the computer programmes
that decode the input signals and sends out appropriate signal in response to the inputs to
control the tracking system. It is connected to the sensors and motors. The hardware
executes the command. It requires 5 V DC. » Servo motor: Servomotors are handy and
practical in today’s robotic and mechatronic systems as they provide a high level of
accuracy, are simple to wire up, and relatively simple to control. They are also more
applicable for certain applications than standard DC motors as they are position controlled
rather than rotation controlled. A good application for servomotors is a sun tracking
14
system for solar panels. The system requires a fairly high positional accuracy,therefore,
servomotors are ideal for the job. The motor used here requires 4.8 V and an operating
speed of 0.18 sec/60° at no load.

» Battery: The tracker needs a power source to keep it running due to the irregularity of
the power received from the solar panel.

A 6 V and 4.5 Amp rechargeable battery is used; the battery as it is connected to the
tracking system is also connected to the output of the solar panel to keep it charging.”

15
CHAPTER 3

PROPOSED SYSTEM DESIGN

Objective:-

 To design the system, which will automatically track the sun’s position
and accordingly change the direction of the solar panel to get the
maximum output from the solar cell.

 To implement a solar tracking system which will automatically track sun’s

position to increase the efficiency of solar system.

In this projects include design and construction of an arduino based solar tracker. This solar tracker
system uses the arduino board, a servomotor, 2 LDR and 2 resistors to rotate the solar panel
towards the sun or a source of light.

In this project LDR was selected since it has no polarity, and easy to interface with circuit, cheap,
reliable and is described by high spectral sensitivity, so that difference in high intensity is
represented immediately by change in its resistance value.

In constructing the solar tracking system, LDRs are used to determine solar light intensity. The 2
LDRs are connected to pin A0 and A1 on the board. One Dc motor is used for rotation part. Usually
the servo has a yellow wire that is used to control the cycle and it must be associated on pin 9 on
the board.

When light falls on the LDR, its resistance differs and a potential divider circuit is used to obtain
corresponding voltage value from the resistance of LDR.

The voltage signal is send to the microcontroller. Constructed on the voltage signal, a
corresponding PWM signal is send to the dc motor which origins it to rotate and finally attains a
position where intensity of light falls on the solar panel is maximum

.In this project the angles are designed by finding which LDR is in shadow. For example if high
source is right with respect to right LDR will receive maximum light and left LDR will be in
shadow.

The major components of this system are as follows, Light dependent resistor, Arduino board, dc
motor, 10 k resistor.

16
FIG:3.1 Block Diagram of Tracking System

17
CHAPTER 4

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT

4.1 COMPONENTS USED

4.1.1 ARDUINO UNO ATMEGA

The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328 (datasheet). It has 14 digital
input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic
resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains
everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable
or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started.

 1.0 pinout: added SDA and SCL pins that are near to the AREF pin and two other new pins
placed near to the RESET pin, the IOREF that allow the shields to adapt to the voltage
provided from the board. In future, shields will be compatible with both the board that uses the
AVR, which operates with 5V and with the Arduino Due that operates with 3.3V. The second
one is a not connected pin, that is reserved for future purposes.
 Stronger RESET circuit.
 Atmega 16U2 replace the 8U2.

"Uno" means one in Italian and is named to mark the upcoming release of Arduino 1.0. The Uno
and version 1.0 will be the reference versions of Arduino, moving forward. The Uno is the latest in
a series of USB Arduino boards, and the reference model for the Arduino platform.

18
ARDUINO MICROCONTROLLER

Microcontroller ATmega328

Architecture AVR

Operating Voltage 5V

32 KB of which 0.5 KB
Flash memory
used by bootloader

SRAM 2 KB

Clock Speed 16 MHz

Analog I/O Pins 6

EEPROM 1 KB

DC Current per I/O 40 mA on I/O Pins; 50 mA

Pins on 3,3 V Pin

19
FIG 4.1: Pin Diagram of ARDUINO UNO ATMEGA 168

20
4.1.2 LDR(Light detecting resistor)
An LDR is a component that has a (variable) resistance that changes with the light
intensity that falls upon it. This allows them to be used in light sensing circuits.

FIG 4.2: LDR(Light Detecting Resistor)

The most common type of LDR has a resistance that falls with an increase in the light
intensity falling upon the device (as showowing resistances: Daylight= 5000Ω
Dark= 20000000Ω

4.1.3 MOTOR DRIVE L293

L293D is a dual H-bridge motor driver integrated circuit (IC). Motor drivers act as current
amplifiers since they take a low-current control signal and provide a higher-current
signal. This higher current signal is used to drive the motors.

L293D contains two inbuilt H-bridge driver circuits. In its common mode of operation,
two DC motors can be driven simultaneously, both in forward and reverse direction. The
motor operations of two motors can be controlled by input logic at pins 2 & 7 and 10 &
15. Input logic 00 or 11 will stop the corresponding motor. Logic 01 and 10 will rotate it
in clockwise and anticlockwise directions, respectively.

Enable pins 1 and 9 (corresponding to the two motors) must be high for motors to start
operating. When an enable input is high, the associated driver gets enabled. As a result,

21
 the outputs become active and work in phase with their inputs. Similarly, when the
enable input is low, that driver is disabled, and their outputs are off and in the high-
impedance state.

4.1.4 GEAR DC MOTOR

Geared DC motors can be defined as an extension of DC motor which already had its
Insight details demystified here. A geared DC Motor has a gear assembly attached to
the motor. The speed of motor is counted in terms of rotations of the shaft per minute
and is termed as RPM .The gear assembly helps in increasing the torque and reducing
the speed. Using the correct combination of gears in a gear motor, its speed can be
reduced to any desirable figure. This concept where gears reduce the speed of the
vehicle but increase its torque is known as gear reduction. This Insight will explore all
the minor and major details that make the gear head and hence the working of geared
DC motor.

FIG 4.3: GEAR DC MOTOR

The rating of the geareddc motor used is 12volts and 30 rpm

4.1.5 SOLAR PANEL

A device which gets heated by the sun’s energy is called solar heating device. All the solar heating
devices are designed in such a way that they help in collecting as much sunlight as possible. The
solar heating devices such as solar cooker, solar water h eater and solar cells have greatly helped in
solving the energy problem, its consumption and future energy demands of our country. Solar
energy also reduces our dependence on fossil fuel.

SOLAR CELL

It is a device which converts solar energy directly into electricity. Since solar energy is a
22
light energy so we can say, “Solar cell is a device which converts light energy into electrical
energy.”

Solar cells are made by a semiconductors such as silicon and galium. Those solar devices which
convert the solar radiation into electricity are called Solar Cells. Before we discuss the solar Cells,
we should know the meaning of semi-conductors.

SEMI-CONDUCTORS

1. Semi-conductors are those substances which have very low

electrical conductivity.
2. They are neither bad conductors nor good conductors of
electricity.
3. They are not good conductors., but unlike an insulator, they allow
Some current to pass through them.
4. Two common semi-conductor are (1) Silicon, (2) Galium.

Photovoltaic solar panels absorb sunlight as a source of energy to generate electricity. A

photovoltaic (PV) module is a packaged, connected assembly of typically 6x10 photovoltaic solar
cells. Photovoltaic modules constitute the photovoltaic array of a photovoltaic system that
generates and supplies solar electricity in commercial and residential applications.A single solar
module can produce only a limited amount of power; most installations contain multiple modules.
A photovoltaic system typically
includes an array of photovoltaic modules, an inverter, a battery pack for storage, interconnection
wiring, and optionally a solar tracking mechanism.

The most common application of solar energy collection outside agriculture is solar water heating
systems.

The price of solar electrical power has continued to fall so that in many countries it has become
cheaper than ordinary fossil fuel electricity from the electricity grid since 2012, a phenomenon
known as grid parity
PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION OF SOLAR ENERGY INTO
ELECTRICAL ENERGY
Solar energy is transformed in the form of electromagnetic radiations of different
wavelength. These radiations comprise visible light and invisible light (infra red) Solar cells can
transform light energy into electrical energy which can also be converted into mechanical energy.

The conductivity of solar cells, that is ability to conduct electricity of semi conduct
electricity of semi-conductors increases if certain impurities like Boron and Arsenic are added to
them. These can be explained from following Fig. 1.

Collection

Electric Current
Solar Raditions

23
 Flow of Electrons

USE OF SEMI-CONDUCTORS IN SOLAR CELLS

Due to use of semi-conductors materials for making solar cells, efficiency of solar cells has
increased tremendously. The efficiency of Solar cells has increased tremendously. The efficiency of
solar cells, made from silicon, galium and germanium is limited upto 10% to 15% that is they can
convert about 10% to 15% of solar energy into electrical energy. Efficiency of modern solar cells
mode from selenium is upto 25% which is quite high.

CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR CELLS

These days solar cells are usually made from semi-conductors like silicon, galium and
selenium.

To make a solar cells, wafer (think layer) of semi-conductor materials are arranged in such a
way that when the light falls on them, a potential difference is produced between the two regions of
wafer (See Fig. 2). When the sunlight falls on wafer of selenium, it is converted into electricity due
to emission of electrons.

Solar Radiations Ctric Current

Borona Major impurity Flow of Electrons Arsenic Major impurity

Potential difference produced by a single solar cell of 4 sq cm size is about 0.4 volts and
generates current of 0 milli-amperes.

SOLAR CELL PANEL

A lot of electricity is required for working of various device such as artificial satellites,
water pumps, street lighting, etc. No single cell can provide such energy. But by joining a large
number of solar cells in a particular way, we can obtain any amount of electrical energy at any
desired voltage. A solar cell panel contains large number of solar cells joined together in a definite
pattern. The solar panel converts solar energy into electricity during day. The energy so produced is
stored in condensers and is used during nights. A solar panel can provide much more electric power
than a single solar cell.

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR CELL PANEL

1. Solar cell panel provide a large amount of electricity than a single cell. The electricity
provided by it is used to run electric motors and lift water from deep wells.
2. The electric power required for working of artificial satellites stationed in outer space.
Street lighting in remove areas and running of irrigation water pumps, etc., is obtained with
the help of a solar cell panel.
24
3. Solar cell panel is very helpful to overcome energy crises in the modern times. In Fig. 3
solar energy is being used for running a water pump for irrigation with the help of solar cell
panel.
4. There is also a solar cell panel ‘S’ in which hundreds of solar cells are joined together. The
electricity produced by solar panel is stored in battery ‘B’. This battery runs the electric
motor M and finally motor M drives the pump P, which pumps out the underground water.

APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR CELLS

1. The uses of solar cells have been very effective in providing electric power to remote
inaccessible and isolated places.
2. Solar cells are used for providing electricity in artificial satellites and space probes depend
mainly on the electricity generated by solar panels. In India, solar cells are being used for
street light, for running water pumps and for operating radio and televisions sets in remote
areas.
3. Solar cells are used for providing electricity to light houses situated in the sea and to off
shore oil drilling rig platforms Solar cells are used for operating electronic watches and
calculators. Solar cells have gained a lot of importance in the last few decade because they
are being used increasingly for providing electricity to artificial satellites and space probes,
for providing electricity to remote areas and for operating modern instruments, like
electronic watches and calculators.
4. In India, efforts are being made to harness solar energy on a large scale to meet its ever-
increasing needs for energy.
5. The department of Non-conventional Energy Sources (DNS) of Government of India and
similar departments of the State level are making all efforts to popularise use of solar cells
of generating electricity. Solar cells and solar panels are available to the public at highly
subsidised rates. In order to harness solar energy on a commercial scale, many solar energy
parks are being established in India.
6. The greatest advantage of solar energy cells is that they make use of ever-lasting solar
energy and their use does not produce any environmental pollution.

A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts solar energy into electricity by the
photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaics is the field of technology and research related to the application
of solar cells as solar energy. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended
specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the
source is unspecified.

Assemblies of cells are used to make solar modules, which may in turn be linked in photovoltaic
arrays.

Solar cells have many applications. Individual cells are used for powering small devices such as
electronic calculators. Photovoltaic arrays generate a form of renewable electricity, particularly
useful in situations where electrical power from the grid is unavailable such as in remote area
power systems, Earth-orbiting satellites and space probes, remote radiotelephones and water
pumping applications. Photovoltaic electricity is also increasingly deployed in grid-tied elect
25
FIG 4.4: Circuit diagram with the required wiring connections.

26
FIG 4.5 After assembling the components with the proposed design and finalizing the
system with the required code.

27
4.2 CODE USED
const int LED = 8;
const int LED1 = 9;

const int SW = 7;

const int SW1 = 6;

void setup();
{
pinMode(LED,OUTPUT);
pinMode(LED1,OUTPUT);

pinMode(SW, INPUT);
pinMode(SW1, INPUT);

void loop();
{
val=digitalRead(SW);
if(val==LOW)
{
digitalWrite(LED,HIGH);
digitalWrite(LED1,LOW);

}
val=digitalRead(SW1);
if(val==LOW)
{
digitalWrite(LED,LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1,HIGH);

}
val=digitalRead(SWandSW1);
if(val==LOW)
{
digitalWrite(LED,LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1,LOW);
}
val=digitalRead(SWandSW1);
if(val==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(LED,LOW);
digitalWrite(LED1,LOW);

28
CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Result of this project is, when light falls on the LDR, its resistance varies and a potential
divider circuit is used to obtain corresponding voltage value (5v) from the resistance of LDR.
The voltage signal is send to the Arduino microcontroller. Established on the voltage signal, a
corresponding PWM signal is send to the servo motor which causes it to rotate and to end
with attains a position where intensity of light falls on the solar panel is maximum. An arduino
solar tracker was designed and constructed in the current work. LDR light sensors were used to
sense the intensity of the solar light occurrence on the photo-voltaic cells panel. Conclusions of
this project is summarized as ,The existing tracking system successfully sketched the light
source even it is a small torch light, in a dark room, or it is the sun light rays. The Arduino solar
tracker with servo motor is employed by means of Ardiuno ATmega328p microcontroller. The
essential software is developed via Arduino Uno. The cost and reliability of this solar tracker
creates it suitable for the rural usage. The purpose of renewable energy from this paper offered
new and advanced idea to help the people.

EXPECTED OUTCOMEEnergy efficiency gain of about 40% per cent relative to the fixed
system was obtained. Results showed viability of the tracking strategy. Hence, it can be
concluded that tracking system with a location-specific tilt can give better efficiency.

29
CHAPTER 6

REFERENCES

[1] Rizk J. and Chaiko Y. “Solar Tracking System: More Efficient Use of Solar
Panels”, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 2008.

[2] Filfil Ahmed Nasir, Mohussen Deia Halboot, Dr. ZidanKhamis A. “Microcontroller-
Based Sun Path Tracking System”, Eng. & Tech. Journal, Vol. 29, No.7, 2011.

[3] Alimazidi Mohammad, Gillispie J, Mazidi, Rolin D. McKinlay, “The 8051

Microcontroller and Embedded Systems”, an imprint of Pearson Education, 2006.

[4]GamalM.Dousoky,Abou-Hashema M.ELSAYED,MasahitoShoyama. “Maximizing

EnergyEfficencyInSingle Axis Solar Tracker Photovoltaic Panels”.8th International
Conference on Power ElectronicECCE Asia –May 30 June, 2011.

[5] Luque-Heredia et al., "The Sun Tracker in Concentrator Photovoltaics" in Cristobal,

A.B.,Martí, A.,and Luque, A. Next Generation Photovoltaics, Springer Verlag, 2012

[6] David Cooke, "Single vs. Dual Axis Solar Tracking", Alternate Energy eMagazine,
April 2011

[7] David Cooke, "Single vs. Dual Axis Solar Tracking", Alternate Energy eMagazine,
April 2011

30