Monthly profile analysis based on a two-axis solar tracker proposal for photovoltaic panels

The concerns due to pollution and depletion of traditional energy sources and increasing consumption motivates the use of renewable energies. Photovoltaic energy presents advantages like low cost for maintenance, installation in remote locations, besides not generating environment impacts during operation. However, the cost of photovoltaic energy sources is greater than traditional ones due to, among other reasons, irradiation losses. The objective of this work is the development of a two-axis solar tracker and performance evaluation of a solar panel, compared to a fixed system. The tracker uses LDRs to identify sun movement direction and engines adjust the panel position, according to the control performed by an electronic device. Each system is composed by a mechanical structure, a solar panel and a resistive load. The electronic device, besides engines controlling, performs the measurement and storage of luminosity and irradiation information over the panel. The evaluation of the two systems occurred for 152 days, between 2016's June and November, in southern Brazil. The panel with tracking system presented average monthly gains varying from 17,20% and 31,1%, indicating that this is an alternative to make photovoltaic energy more attractive. (C) 2017 Universidade de Santa Cruz Do Sul. Published by Elsevier Ltd.