Automated solar tracking system with charge controller

• Main Author: Tan, Chun Yang
• Other Authors: So Ping Lam
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/63765
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Modern world has been massively developing and caused a rapid increase in demand for energy. With the depletion of fossil fuel, human have to rely on alternative methods to sustain the energy demand. In Singapore, solar energy can be a potential source of energy as sunlight is abundant throughout the year with our country located in the tropical sunbelt. Harvesting solar energy refers to the conversion of the sun’s rays into beneficial form of energy, such as electricity or heat. Due to its cleanliness, ubiquity, abundance, and sustainability, solar panels have become widely utilized to harvest solar energy. One way to increase the power output of solar panels will be the integration of solar tracker to the system. Solar tracker will keep the solar panels aligned with the sun’s position, resulting in an increase in the overall light intensity falling on it. Electrical energy which is converted from solar energy is often first stored in battery during the day, and the stored energy is utilized during the night time. The usage of a charge controller will be beneficial as it controls the charging process of the battery to prevent overcharging of the battery which damages the battery and reduces the battery life-span. The design, development and testing of the automated dual axis solar tracker with pulse width modulation charge controller will be presented in this report. Both the solar tracking system and charge controller system are controlled and operated from a microcontroller (ATmega328). This project covers both hardware and software implementation.