DESIGN OF A DUAL AXIS PV TRACKING SYSTEM EMPLOYING UV SENSORS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Globally, the use of photovoltaic (PV) systems for the generation of sustainable electricity has been rising quickly. However, the orientation of solar PV modules has a significant impact on the efficiency of PV systems. Previous research focused primarily on the development of sensor-based solar tracking systems using sun position sensors to improve the efficiency of PV systems. They used light-dependent resistors (LDRs) to detect the visible light spectrum in particular. LDRs, on the other hand, have significant limitations that can impair solar tracking performance. The use of ultraviolet (UV) spectrum captured by UV sensors has the potential to overcome LDR limitations. This is due to the cloud effect enhancing UV radiation during overcast conditions, as well as the capability of UV sensors. Given this, we recommend a novel UV sensor-based dual-axis solar tracking system that takes advantage of UV radiation enhancement and UV sensor capability to improve tracking movements and PV energy generation. The proposed solar tracking system's solar tracking performance is compared to that of a fixed flat-plate system and a conventional LDR-based solar tracking system in a comparative analysis. Under the tested conditions, it was discovered that the proposed solar tracking system performs effectively in terms of movement tracking. Finally, the results of the performance evaluation show that the proposed tracking system is profitable.