Comparatives Efficiencies of Solar Photovoltaic Tracking system and Fixed Solar Photovoltaic Modules

Abstract

Electricity plays a key role now in our daily lives but the energy sources to electric power has been used in wealth and so researchers were required to find an alternate source of power leading to the discovery of solar energy¹. Solar energy is inexhaustible and eco-friendly and can be converted into electricity using photovoltaic panels. Photovoltaic modules are devices that directly and cleanly convert the sunlight into electricity and offer a practical solution to the problem of power generation in remote areas. They are especially useful in situations where the demand for electrical power is relatively low. These panels can be used in a fixed form or used in a solar tracking system for single axis as well as for dual axis. In a fixed form their efficiency is low since the panels will be tilted in a particular angle whereas in a tracking system the panel is made to move either in single axis or dual axis. In a single axis system, the panel is moved in east to west direction with respect to the sun and it has better efficiency than panels in fixed form. But in a dual axis system the panel is made to rotate in all four directions in accordance with the sun². And dual axis has proved to have more efficiency than both fixed panels and single axis system. In this study, we have compared the solar tracking photovoltaic (PV) system with fixed system through data collection from AGAHOZO shalom solar company and making experiment in MUNYAX eco solar company limited. In this study, we have made comparison between fixed system; as our country is located at 2 degrees of altitude south of equator, the PV module must set at 15 degrees according to the position of the sun in order to maximize the efficiency of PV module. On other side the dual solar tracking system where light sensors, servo motor, the Arduino Uno are used to control the position of panel toward the sun through for making the Arduino program by using Arduino software as set of instruction to be executed by PV module³. It was clear that the solar tracking is more efficiency than fixed it has been observed that the efficiency increased about 24.16% in first day and 33.11% on second day of experiment ¹