This document describes an automatic solar tracking system that uses a microcontroller and other components to track the sun's movement and improve the efficiency of solar panels. The system includes a photo resistor to detect light levels, a microcontroller to control a stepper motor, and the stepper motor to rotate the solar panel and keep it facing the sun. As the sun moves across the sky from east to west each day, the system uses an algorithm run by the microcontroller to take light readings from the photo resistor and rotate the panel in small increments to continuously face the sun and maximize energy collection. The automatic tracking helps reduce installation costs and improves the performance of photovoltaic solar energy systems.

1. AUTOMATIC SOLAR TRACKING
SYSTEM
MADHUMITHA JAYARAJ
ROJITHA Ch
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
III yr / EEE 1

2. OBJECTIVE
• Solar panel tracks the sun from east to west automatically.
• Improve the efficiency of solar panel.
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3. RESPOND TO ENERGY CHALLANGE
• Most promising RENEWABLE energy source
• Inexhaustible source of energy
• Environmentally clean source of energy
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4. SOLAR ENERGY MAP OF INDIA
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5. SOLAR ENERGY  ELECTRICITY
• PHOTOVOLTAIC
-Photoelectric effect
• CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER
-utilizes mirrors to focus light on water pipes, generating
superheated steam to operate turbines
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6. MAJOR ROADBLOCKS
 INSTALLATION COST
 SEASONAL NATURE
 SOLAR PANEL INEFFICIENCY
 STORAGE
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7. COMPONENTS
• Photo resistor / LDR
• Microcontroller(ATmega 32)
• Stepper motor
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8. PHOTORESISTOR
Light controlled variable resistor
Working principle- Photoconductivity
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9. STEPPER MOTOR
• Brushless DC motor.
• Stator energized by a microcontroller.
• Each pulse moves the shaft through a fixed angle.
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10. MICRO CONTROLLER
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• ATmega32 is an 8-bit high performance,
low power microcontroller
• Contains 131 powerful instructions.
Most of the instructions execute in one
machine cycle
FEATURES:
 Analog comparator
 ADC

11. PRINCIPLE
 Assuming that in the tropical zone, where solar panels are most
effective, there is about 10 hrs. sunshine every day.
 Total angle to be covered=180 ͦ t0 150 ͦ
 Time taken for the sun to travel from sunshine to sunset ~ 10
hrs. = 10*60=600mins
 Degree travelled per min = 150/600 =0.25 ͦ /min
 Solar tracker is operated through the program in microcontroller
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12. ADC result = [VADC0 – VADC1]
if ADC result > Threshold;
motor rotates one step
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13. ALGORITHM
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14. APPLICATION
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• Efficiency of the solar panel is improved at a reduced cost
• Make best use of investment in PV system (photo voltaic)

15. CONCLUSION
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• Cost effective method to harness solar power
• It works for the global energy security

16. REFERENCE
• Y.Oner,E.Cetin, H. K. Ozturk, and A. Yilanci,” Design of a new three-
degree of freedom spherical motor for photovoltaic-tracking system,”
Renewable Energy, Vol. 34, pp. 2751-2756, 2009.
• M. A. Green, “Clean Electricity from Photovoltaics,” Ed. Mary D.
Archer and R. Hill, Series on Photoconversion of solar Energy, V.1.
• Kaustav Sinha, Bipin Krishan “Tracking of sun for solar panels” Journal
of automation and control engineering.
• “Photo sensor” Datasheet.
• “Microcontroller “ Datasheet.
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QUERIES.?