3. Solar Tracking

The various types of solar trackers are reviewed in this chapter along with their merits and disadvantages. It has been shown that in terms of the relative power output, a dual-axes tracker is the most efficient system available. The step-by-step construction of a novel dual-axes solar tracker, that points directly towards the sun thanks to an integrated sun tracking mechanism with two degrees of rotational freedom, is presented in this chapter. Each stage of the design, with explicit explanation of all the components, and realisation of the solar tracker is detailed. The electro-mechanical control system is based on a precisely-timed microcontroller circuit that first computes the altitude and azimuth of the sun in real-time and then drives a pair of stepper motors that steers the system towards it. The system will track the sun throughout the day and return to its default position for night-time stowing. The whole set-up can be constructed in about 6 months at a record price of \({{\$}118.81}\) for the electronics circuitry that any generic solar tracker can utilize and \({{\$}159.78}\) for a tailor-made prototype frame.