Philippine E-Journals

Biomimetic Solar Tracking for Optimized Photovoltaic Power Generation

Rexel U Sabran

 

Abstract:

Different tracking strategies were developed to optimally align the photovoltaic panel with the direct beam of solar radiation to maximize power generation. Among the various strategies, the ones providing the highest accuracy employ sun pointing sensors. However, its accuracy is affected by varying weather conditions that resulted in poor tracking performance which adversely affected power generation. A sensorless approach using the factors that drive the heliotropism of sunflowers was developed to track the sun’s position. The tracking strategy used the combination of current measurements and astronomical equations to track the sun accurately and reliably. A single-axis biomimetic solar tracking prototype was developed to measure the strategy’s tracking performance in terms of accuracy, reliability, and power generation. The results of the 4-day experiment showed that the biomimetic tracking system reliably located the sun’s position under clear, partly cloudy, and cloudy conditions with a high degree of accuracy; that resulted in the improvement of power generation by an average of 23.57% as compared to a fixed tilted system. The results confirmed that the sensorless approach that utilized the combination of current measurements and astronomical equations is an effective strategy in accurately and reliably tracking the sun’s position under various weather conditions that optimized photovoltaic power generation.