ANALYSIS OF A SOLAR TRACKER IN A DAY PARTLY CLOUDY

Abstract

The search for renewable sources of energy is a reality in the current political and social scenario in wich we live, it is in this context that the use of photovoltaic solar panels is inserted, where the solar radiation is captured and transformed into electrical energy. The power produced by a photovoltaic panel is directly related to the level of solar radiation incident on the panel, so, because of the atmospheric changes during the day, as the variation of the sun’s position in relation to the panel, becomes necessary the use of solar trackers to force the panel to work in a point where it is possible to capture the maximum radiation provided by the sun. In order to study the gain of energy produced by a panel when using a solar tracker in comparison to a static one, this work proposes the construction of a prototype that intends to make the panel track the sun ́s movement. This prototype will have a control circuit that will rotate the panel by the actuation of a stepper motor, in addition to the possibility to monitor all the data related to the performance of the panel, which is sent to a computer that has an interface where you can view the date and send some commands to the control circuit of the prototype. To validate the benefits of the use of solar trackers, the generation performance data between static and a dynamical panel was monitored and compared.