Abstract

As renewable energy becomes more accessible, affordable optimization solutions have become a larger part of at home systems. Solar energy is one of the most common clean energy applications used by homeowners because of its increasing affordability. While many photovoltaic systems are statically mounted on roofs or in yards, many systems also employ some kind of solar tracking. Both single axis and dual axis solar tracking systems have been implemented and tested with multiple kinds of tracking methods. Two of the most accurate tracking strategies are utilizing light dependent resistors or using some kind of solar position calculation. This paper proposes a design for a solar tracking system that combines these two strategies, using a solar position algorithm to calculate the angle of the sun which is then corrected by light dependent resistors if necessary. This design is highly accurate as well as being robust in finding the sun regardless of weather conditions and geographical location. Data from two days of testing shows an average percent difference in solar energy output of 1.486% in the late evening and 0.883% near solar noon.

Publication Date

5-2023

Document Type

Master's Project

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Electrical Engineering (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering (KGCOE)

Advisor

Mark A. Indovina

Advisor/Committee Member

Ferat Sahin

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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