Design of a Solar Tracking System Using the Brightest Region in the Sky Image Sensor

Area of Science:

• Renewable Energy
• Image Processing
• Robotics

Background:

• Solar energy offers environmental benefits but suffers from low conversion efficiency.
• Optimizing photovoltaic panel orientation towards the sun is crucial for efficiency.
• Existing solar tracking methods have limitations in accuracy and adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative and accurate solar tracking method using image sensors.
• To improve the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic panels.
• To create a practical and easily integrated real-time solar tracking system.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing an image sensor to detect the brightest region in the sky, assumed to be the sun.
• Calculating the solar center mathematically using an embedded processor (Raspberry Pi).
• Employing servo motors controlled by the processor to orient the photovoltaic panel towards the sun.

Main Results:

• The developed system accurately captured the sun's center in various weather conditions.
• The servo motor system successfully directed the photovoltaic panel perpendicularly to the sun.
• The proposed method demonstrated accuracy comparable to or better than existing techniques like the Hough transform.

Conclusions:

• The image-based solar tracking system is effective and practical for enhancing solar energy conversion.
• The system's ability to track the sun in real-time and under different conditions makes it a valuable solution.
• Integration of image processing with embedded systems offers a promising approach for renewable energy optimization.