Design of Automatic Solar Tracking System Prototype to Maximize Solar Energy Extraction

This research presents the design of an automatic solar tracking system for optimal energy extraction. A prototype system based on two mechanisms was designed. The first subsystem is the search mechanism (PILOT) which locates the position of the sun while the second mechanism (Intelligent PANELS or optimal energy extraction mechanism) aligns itself with the PILOT only if maximum energy possible could be extracted. The unique feature of this designed system is that instead of taking the earth as its reference, it takes the sun as a guiding source with an innovative alignment procedure for accurate and precise alignment between PILOT and PANEL so that maximum energy is extracted. The two systems are driven by a microcontroller ATMEGA 328P. At maximum, the solar tracker was perpendicular to the light source by 90 degrees.