Introduction

The Tracking Solar Panel project is an embedded system that intends to provide a smart and sustainable energy generation mechanism through efficient solar tracking during the day and power conservation at night.

Overview

The system used closed loop control and a to control the position of a solar panel between the times of sunrise and sunset. A servo motor is used for rotation based on feedback from two photoresistors to determine position of maximum light intensity. The voltage generated by the solar panel is used to power a battery and the PIC32 microcontroller through load sharing. A battery status indicator displays the battery levels on four LEDs. Power conservation is accomplished through putting the system to sleep after sunset and until sunrise. During the day the system goes to sleep and periodically checks for any changes in light intensity and accordingly moves the motor. In addition the system goes to sleep if the battery level falls below a set threshold.