PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF STATIC AND DUAL AXIS AUTO SUN TRACKING PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR PANEL

Abstract

Photovoltaic solar panel converts photon energy of sunlight into electrical energy and provides a medium of pollution free energy conversion for remote and detachable areas. A photovoltaic panel produces less electricity in static condition than in dual axis auto sun tracking condition due to continuous variability of the sun position around the earth. To tap more power than available sunlight, it is necessary that photovoltaic panels always maintain perpendicular profile relative to the sun during the day. This condition can be acquired by controlling the azimuth angle and elevation angle of photovoltaic panel. Elevation angle and azimuth angle control of photovoltaic panel allow the dual axis auto sun tracking for photovoltaic panel. Dual axis auto sun tracking photovoltaic panel receives the maximum amount of sunlight energy during the daytime and produces more electricity than the stationary photovoltaic panel. Dual axis auto sun tracking photovoltaic panel ensures optimum utilization of installed capacity. In the proposed work, the performance parameters, i.e. Voltage, current, power and energy have been analyzed for both static and dual axis auto sun tracking condition of the photovoltaic solar panel. The setting of azimuth and elevation angle was kept respectively at 270° and 41° for the static condition of photovoltaic solar panel during the data logging of the performance parameter. The investigations reveal that the dual axis auto sun tracking of solar panel produces 39.81 % more electrical energy than the stationary photovoltaic panel. This sun tracking mechanism of photovoltaic solar panel can be easily implemented in remote and detached areas for more electricity production and it also reduces the burden of installing new photovoltaic solar panel for meeting the gradual rise in load demand.