An IoT-based Open-Loop Dual Axis Solar Tracking and Monitoring System

The implementation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels for residential buildings has become popular due to the rapid development of smart grid systems. Currently, most PV solar panels implemented in residential areas are fixed-mounted rooftop types. This PV type is less efficient due to its inability to track the sun's movement. Therefore, PV solar tracking system is preferred since it can provide more power efficiency. However, PV solar tracking system is more expensive compared to conventional fixed PV. In this paper, we propose a low-cost and simple dual-axis solar tracking system (STS) design that is able to perform solar tracking with the pre-calculated solar position. The implementation of a linear actuator with a potentiometer simplifies the control and complexity of the STS structure. Further, the solar angle is modelled with Matlab ®and Simulink ®using global positioning system (GPS) location information of the experimental site. In the proposed STS solution, solar angle information is saved to the memory of the microcontroller system. It is used to adapt the PV module to the direction of sunlight. This paper also compares the performance of the proposed GPS-based STS with the traditional fixed-mounted PV system.