How does a solar tracker work?

How does a solar tracker work?

PV solar trackers adjust the direction that a solar panel is facing according to the position of the Sun in the sky. By keeping the panel perpendicular to the Sun, more sunlight strikes the solar panel, less light is reflected, and more energy is absorbed. That energy can be converted into power.

What is solar radiation sensor?

Solar radiation sensors are also known as pyranometers. A type of actinometer, these devices are used for measuring broadband solar irradiance as well as solar radiation flux density, which means that they measure the power of the light and heat from the sun. Pyranometers detect both direct and diffuse radiation.

Are solar trackers worth it?

Are solar trackers worth the additional investment? In most cases, solar trackers are not worth the additional investment, even though they do produce more electricity. Because solar panels are cheaper than ever, it would cost less to install more solar panels than it would to include a tracking system.

Can a solar tracking system be based on the sun position?

Results revealed that incorporation of the sun position algorithm into a solar tracking system helps in outperforming the fixed system and optical tracking system by 13.9% and 2.1%, respectively.

How does a solar tracker work in a closed loop?

As the system is operating in a closed loop state, the amount of sunlight is used to continuously monitor the position of the sun. Based on this information, the controller seeks to equalize the sunlight received by opposing sensors for each axis. The controller circuitry automatically adjusts the tracker sensitivity accordingly.

How is the efficiency of a solar tracker determined?

Efficiency is based on accurately positioning the solar panel throughout the day and thus stepper motors and Light Dependent Resistors (LDR) have been selected as the primary driving mechanism of this system. Keywords— Solar Trackers, Solar Energy.

What kind of motor does a solar tracker use?

II.THE POSITIONNING SYSTEM. The tracker controller sends a signal to the motor which moves the photovoltaic array to a perpendicular position relative to the sun’s rays. The motors are small, low horse position. The motor that is used for the solar tracker positioning system can be either a DC stepper motor or a Brushed DC motor.