A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency
Fixed solar panels face significant energy loss as they cannot consistently capture optimal sunlight. Because of that, the overall efficiency of the PV panel will be reduced, and the installation requires larger land space to generate appropriate power; this stems from the use of a dual-axis solar t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/217 |
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| author | Muhammad Hammas Hassen Fituri Ali Shour Ashraf Ali Khan Usman Ali Khan Shehab Ahmed |
| author_facet | Muhammad Hammas Hassen Fituri Ali Shour Ashraf Ali Khan Usman Ali Khan Shehab Ahmed |
| author_sort | Muhammad Hammas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fixed solar panels face significant energy loss as they cannot consistently capture optimal sunlight. Because of that, the overall efficiency of the PV panel will be reduced, and the installation requires larger land space to generate appropriate power; this stems from the use of a dual-axis solar tracking system, which can significantly increase overall energy production. The system is based on the combination of two approaches to precisely track the sunlight: first, using multiple LDRs (light-dependent resistors) as photo sensors to track the position of the sun by balancing the resistivity using a proportional integral deprival (PID) controller, and the second approach using the time-based control for cloudy days when sunlight is diffused, getting the time GPS coordinates and time to calculate the accurate position of the sun by determining the azimuth and altitude angle. This dual system significantly improves energy production by 33.23% compared to fixed systems and eliminates errors during shaded conditions while reducing unnecessary energy use from continuous GPS activation. The prototype uses two linear actuators for both angles and a 100-watt solar panel mounted on the dual-axis platform. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e75a920c3b9a4af8873647a2c34e89e4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-e75a920c3b9a4af8873647a2c34e89e42025-01-10T13:17:27ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-01-0118121710.3390/en18010217A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy EfficiencyMuhammad Hammas0Hassen Fituri1Ali Shour2Ashraf Ali Khan3Usman Ali Khan4Shehab Ahmed5Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5, CanadaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5, CanadaSchool of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of KoreaCEMSE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi ArabiaFixed solar panels face significant energy loss as they cannot consistently capture optimal sunlight. Because of that, the overall efficiency of the PV panel will be reduced, and the installation requires larger land space to generate appropriate power; this stems from the use of a dual-axis solar tracking system, which can significantly increase overall energy production. The system is based on the combination of two approaches to precisely track the sunlight: first, using multiple LDRs (light-dependent resistors) as photo sensors to track the position of the sun by balancing the resistivity using a proportional integral deprival (PID) controller, and the second approach using the time-based control for cloudy days when sunlight is diffused, getting the time GPS coordinates and time to calculate the accurate position of the sun by determining the azimuth and altitude angle. This dual system significantly improves energy production by 33.23% compared to fixed systems and eliminates errors during shaded conditions while reducing unnecessary energy use from continuous GPS activation. The prototype uses two linear actuators for both angles and a 100-watt solar panel mounted on the dual-axis platform.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/217dualaxisGPSIoTlatitudeLDRPV |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Hammas Hassen Fituri Ali Shour Ashraf Ali Khan Usman Ali Khan Shehab Ahmed A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency Energies dualaxis GPS IoT latitude LDR PV |
| title | A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency |
| title_full | A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency |
| title_fullStr | A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency |
| title_short | A Hybrid Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System: Combining Light-Sensing and Time-Based GPS for Optimal Energy Efficiency |
| title_sort | hybrid dual axis solar tracking system combining light sensing and time based gps for optimal energy efficiency |
| topic | dualaxis GPS IoT latitude LDR PV |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/217 |
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