The document describes a student project to build a solar station with a solar panel, energy meter, battery, and two motors to simulate the sun's motion and potentially increase efficiency. The students programmed the panel to track the sun's movement using the two motors but realized this system requires significant energy from the motors. They are unsure if the energy gained from tracking the sun outweighs the energy used by the motors and are seeking opinions on movable solar panels from others.

1. Renewable energy:
a solar station
Finally we built a complete solar station to achieve
informations and abilities in order to increase system
efficiency.

2. Renewable energy:
a solar station
We built a system made up of a solar panel, an energy
meter, a rechargeable battery and we also added two
motors to simulate the Sun's motion.
Solar panel
NXT brick
Motor
Motor
Energy meter

3. Renewable energy:
a solar panel
Here's a link to a web page where we found a Motion of the Sun
simulator:
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/animations/sunmotions.html

4. Renewable energy:
a solar station
We tried to increase the efficiency of our panel so
we forced it to follow the sun apparent motion
using two motors. The two motors spin the panel
according to the movement of the Sun.

5. Renewable energy:
a solar station
We used Lego
Mindstorms
NXT software
to program
panel
movement.
You can see
two lines
because each
motor
matches a
line.

6. Renewable energy:
a solar station
We thought this could be a good idea, but we
realized almost at once that the two motors need
a lot of energy for their movement.
We'd like to know if the energy that we can get this
way is, economically speaking, convenient.

7. Renewable energy:
a solar station
At the moment we can't answer to this question
using collected data.
In our model, we think not because this
moving system is very expensive, in
order to its energy balance, compared to
traditional fixed panels.
Energy in Energy out
?

8. Renewable energy:
a solar station
By the way, have you ever seen a
movable panel?
This could be the answer to our idea.
What do you think?
We're waiting for your opinions.