18. Performance Analysis on an Arduino-Based Low-Cost Active Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System

The common term used to describe devices that orient solar panels towards the sun is a solar tracking system. Trackers are used to minimise the angle of incidence between the incoming light and a photovoltaic panel. An overview of the low-cost active dual-axis solar tracking system based on an Arduino is provided in this paper. Improving the solar tracker efficiency and reducing its development costs are the catalysts to the implementation of this study. This solar tracking device is intended to optimise the power generation compared to a fixed solar panel installation. This study aimed to design and developed a low-cost dual-axis solar tracking system and evaluate its performance. The hardware designs are solar panels, light dependence resistance as sensors, Arduino as the main controller, servo motors, solar chargers, and the battery. The performance of the dual-axis tracker is compared to a fixed solar panel to analyse the panel efficiency. An analysis of power, current and voltage is then carried out. The study shows that the solar tracker can be built with a minimal cost, and it significantly works efficiently for about 4.45% better than the fixed solar panel.