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HOME FREE PROJECT CIRCUITS EMBEDDED AVR MICROCONTROLLER SUN TRACKING SOLAR
PANEL

Sun Tracking Solar Panel

OCTOBER 4, 2015 BY ADMINISTRATOR 13 COMMENTS

Contents [hide]
o

0.1 Sun Tracking Solar Panel Principle:

1 Sun Tracking Solar Panel Circuit Diagram:

1.1 Automated Sun Tracking Solar Panel Circuit Design:

1.2 How Sun Tracking Solar Panel Works?

1.3 Advantages of Sun Tracking Solar Panel:

1.4 Sun Tracking Solar Panel Applications:

1.5 Limitations of Sun Tracking Solar Panel Circuit:

2 Related Articles

As the non renewable energy resources are decreasing, use of renewable resources for
producing electricity is increasing. Solar panels are becoming more popular day by day.
We have already read a post about how to install solar panel for home. Solar panel
absorbs the energy from the Sun and is stored in the battery. This energy can be utilized
when required. Utilization of the energy stored in batteries is mentioned in below given
applications. Solar panels should absorb energy to a maximum extent. This can be
done only if the panels are continuously placed towards Sun direction. So solar panel
should continuously rotate in the direction of Sun. This article describes about circuit
that rotates solar panel.

Sun Tracking Solar Panel Principle:

The Sun tracking solar panel consists of two LDRs, solar panel and stepper motor and
ATMEGA8 Micro controller.
Two light dependent resistors are arranged on the edges of the solar panel. Light
dependent resistors produce low resistance when light falls on them. The stepper motor
connected to the panel rotates the panel in the direction of Sun. Panel is arranged in
such a way that light on two LDRs is compared and panel is rotated towards LDR which

have high intensity i.e. low resistance compared to other. Stepper motor rotates the
panel at certain angle.
When the intensity of the light falling on right LDR is more, panel slowly moves towards
right and if intensity on the left LDR is more, panel slowly moves towards left. In the
noon time, Sun is ahead and intensity of light on both the panels is same. In such
cases, panel is constant and there is no rotation.

Sun Tracking Solar Panel Circuit Diagram:

Circuit Diagram of Sun Tracking Solar Panel Electronics Hub

Components in the Circuit:

Solar panel

ATmega8 micro controller

Light Dependent Resistor.

Motor driver IC

Stepper Motor.

Automated Sun Tracking Solar Panel Circuit Design:

The proposed system consists of ATmega8 micro controller, Solar panel, Light
Dependent resistors and motor driver IC.
ATmega8 is AVR family micro controller. It is based on advanced RISC architecture. It is
an 8 bit controller. It has 4KB Flash memory, 512 bytes of EEPROM and 1Kb of SRAM.
It has 23 programmable pins. It supports peripheral features like two 8-bit timers, one 16
bit timer, 6 channel ADC with 10-bit resolution, programmable USART, Serial peripheral
interface, 2 wire serial interface, etc.
Solar panel is connected to Stepper motor. Solar panel consists of photovoltaic cells
arranged in an order. Photovoltaic cell is nothing but a solar cell. Photo resembles light
and voltaic is electricity. Solar cell is made up of semiconductor material silicon. When a
light ray from Sun is incident on the solar cell, some amount of energy is absorbed by
this material. The absorbed energy is enough for the electrons to jump from one orbit to
other inside the atom. Cells have one or more electric field that directs the electrons
which creates current. By placing metal contact energy can be obtained from these
cells.
Light Dependent Resistors are the resistors whose resistance values depend on
intensity of the light. As the intensity of light falling on the LDR increases, resistance
value decreases. In dark, LDR will have maximum resistance. LDR will output an analog
value which should be converted to digital. This can be done using analog to digital
converter. ATmega8 has analog to digital converter internally. It has six ADC channels
from ADC0 to ADC5.The two LDRs are connected to ADC pins i.e. PC0 and PC1. ADC
conversion is done using successive approximation method.
Stepper motor rotates the panel in a stepwise angle. To drive this motor a driver IC is
used. Driver IC amplifies the input voltage and protects the microcontroller from back
EMF. Generally, motors generate back EMF. This may damage the controller. The driver
IC used is L293D. It has H bridge internally made up of transistors. This IC has 16 pins.

Output pins are connected to the stepper motor pins. Input pins are connected to the
controller pins as shown in circuit diagram.
By connecting a battery to the solar panel, one can store the energy generated by the
solar cells and this energy can be used when required.

How Sun Tracking Solar Panel Works?

Initially power the circuit.

Place the set up in dark

When the two LDRs are in dark, there is no movement in the panel.

Now place a torch in front of the left LDR. Panels slowly move towards its left.

Now move light from left to right. You can observe the panel moving slowly with
the torch towards right.

In the middle, when intensity on both LDRs is equal, panel will not move until
there is difference between the light intensity falling on the LDRs.

Advantages of Sun Tracking Solar Panel:

The solar energy can be reused as it is non renewable resource.

This also saves money as there is no need to pay for energy used.

Sun Tracking Solar Panel Applications:

1.

These panels can be used to power the traffic lights and streetlights

2.

These can be used in home to power the appliances using solar power.

3.

These can be used in industries as more energy can be saved by rotating the
panel.

Limitations of Sun Tracking Solar Panel Circuit:

1.

Though solar energy can be utilized to maximum extent this may create
problems in rainy season.

2.

Although solar energy can be saved to batteries, they are heavy and occupy
more space and required to change time to time.

3.

They are expensive.

Related Articles

Street Lights that Glow on Detecting Vehicle Movement

Solar Battery Charger Circuit

Solar Inverter for Home

Auto Intensity Control of Street Lights

Boolean Algebra Calculator

Temperature Controlled DC Fan using Microcontroller

PWM Based DC Motor Speed Control using Microcontroller

Line Follower Robot using Microcontroller

FILED UNDER: AVR MICROCONTROLLER, ELECTRONICS, EMBEDDED, FREE PROJECT CIRCUITS, SOLAR

Comments

1.

SARAVANAN says

JUNE 16, 2014 AT 6:08 AM

very super projects will be given .Thank u for this help everyone must use this sun
tracking solar panel.
Reply

priyanka says

OCTOBER 3, 2014 AT 10:41 AM

We are doing the same project but instead of using microcontroller we are going to used
Labview sofware.Is there any specific rating for the solar panel in this project.
So,please do help.
Reply

Administrator says

OCTOBER 7, 2014 AT 6:59 AM

No specific rating for the panel. In this project, the solar panel only moves in the direction of Sun
in order to produce more power.
Reply

2.

kamlesh says

AUGUST 12, 2014 AT 11:06 AM

how i can get the coding of this project?

Reply

3.

p.suganya says

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 AT 10:54 PM

What is price of this project?

Reply

4.

Avinash says

NOVEMBER 21, 2015 AT 1:50 AM

Is there any code required for the microcontroller.

Reply

5.

ashish says

DECEMBER 4, 2015 AT 9:46 AM

is there any programming associated with the project??

Reply

Anusha says

JANUARY 2, 2016 AT 6:58 AM

Yes it requires code but it is not practically implemented..We will update it soon
Reply

6.

Sarah May says

DECEMBER 6, 2015 AT 6:35 AM

were curently doing this project.. anyone here who can give us some advice and
suggestion?
Reply

7.

prasad gunjal says

DECEMBER 16, 2015 AT 7:19 AM

yes it is required .That you have to find.

Reply

8.

MOHINI BHINGARE says

DECEMBER 23, 2015 AT 2:38 AM

HOW MUCH RATINGS OF COMPONENTS

Reply

Anusha says

JANUARY 29, 2016 AT 7:22 AM

Here Motor driver L293D can drive upto 30v maximum.So you can use motor upto 30v.While
Solar Panel Rating is selected depending on your application

Reply

9.

asrul says

FEBRUARY 21, 2016 AT 3:52 AM

can you help me by sending the code programming for this project because it will help
me for my final year project
Reply

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