Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household

Surprise Ngwenya; Vuyo Terrence Hashe; Thokozane Justin Kunene

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Technology

University of Johannesburg
Walter Sisulu University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The frequent power out in South Africa has led most households to install static solar panels to try to remain powered during power outage periods. Solar energy is not harvested to its full potential by static solar panel systems. This paper forms part of the ongoing investigation and demonstrates the hardware design and implementation of a dual-axis solar tracking system, ensuring that the solar panel maintains a perpendicular profile to the sun to capture the most solar energy possible. With the help of a DC motor, the LDRs detect changes in the sun’s position, which are caused by corresponding changes in the position of the solar panels. With the suggested system in place, more energy will be produced than with a standard system while using much less energy itself. Households will be able to harvest more solar energy and continue to use affordable electricity if solar energy harvesting efficiency is improved. This work’s second part and extended version focus on the simulation and verification of the design for possible commercial scale.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023
Editors	James Olabode Bamidele Rotimi, Wajiha Mohsin Shahzad, Monty Sutrisna, Ravindu Kahandawa
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	381-401
Number of pages	21
ISBN (Print)	9783031568770
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23
Publication status	Published - 2024
Event	13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, EPPM 2023 - Auckland, New Zealand Duration: 29 Nov 2023 → 1 Dec 2023

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering
ISSN (Print)	2195-4356
ISSN (Electronic)	2195-4364

Conference

Conference	13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, EPPM 2023
Country/Territory	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Period	29/11/23 → 1/12/23

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Photovoltaic cell
Solar energy
Solar radiation
Solar tracking

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Automotive Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

Cite this

Ngwenya, S., Hashe, V. T., & Kunene, T. J. (2024). Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household. In J. O. B. Rotimi, W. M. Shahzad, M. Sutrisna, & R. Kahandawa (Eds.), Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023 (pp. 381-401). (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

Ngwenya, Surprise ; Hashe, Vuyo Terrence ; Kunene, Thokozane Justin. / Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household. Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023. editor / James Olabode Bamidele Rotimi ; Wajiha Mohsin Shahzad ; Monty Sutrisna ; Ravindu Kahandawa. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. pp. 381-401 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering).

@inproceedings{4fb4dde837d84028b09beae944b3a197,

title = "Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household",

abstract = "The frequent power out in South Africa has led most households to install static solar panels to try to remain powered during power outage periods. Solar energy is not harvested to its full potential by static solar panel systems. This paper forms part of the ongoing investigation and demonstrates the hardware design and implementation of a dual-axis solar tracking system, ensuring that the solar panel maintains a perpendicular profile to the sun to capture the most solar energy possible. With the help of a DC motor, the LDRs detect changes in the sun{\textquoteright}s position, which are caused by corresponding changes in the position of the solar panels. With the suggested system in place, more energy will be produced than with a standard system while using much less energy itself. Households will be able to harvest more solar energy and continue to use affordable electricity if solar energy harvesting efficiency is improved. This work{\textquoteright}s second part and extended version focus on the simulation and verification of the design for possible commercial scale.",

keywords = "Photovoltaic cell, Solar energy, Solar radiation, Solar tracking",

author = "Surprise Ngwenya and Hashe, \{Vuyo Terrence\} and Kunene, \{Thokozane Justin\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.; 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, EPPM 2023 ; Conference date: 29-11-2023 Through 01-12-2023",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7\_23",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783031568770",

series = "Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering",

publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",

pages = "381--401",

editor = "Rotimi, \{James Olabode Bamidele\} and Shahzad, \{Wajiha Mohsin\} and Monty Sutrisna and Ravindu Kahandawa",

booktitle = "Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023",

address = "Germany",

}

Ngwenya, S, Hashe, VT & Kunene, TJ 2024, Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household. in JOB Rotimi, WM Shahzad, M Sutrisna & R Kahandawa (eds), Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 381-401, 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, EPPM 2023, Auckland, New Zealand, 29/11/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household. / Ngwenya, Surprise; Hashe, Vuyo Terrence ; Kunene, Thokozane Justin.
Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023. ed. / James Olabode Bamidele Rotimi; Wajiha Mohsin Shahzad; Monty Sutrisna; Ravindu Kahandawa. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. p. 381-401 (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household

AU - Ngwenya, Surprise

AU - Hashe, Vuyo Terrence

AU - Kunene, Thokozane Justin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The frequent power out in South Africa has led most households to install static solar panels to try to remain powered during power outage periods. Solar energy is not harvested to its full potential by static solar panel systems. This paper forms part of the ongoing investigation and demonstrates the hardware design and implementation of a dual-axis solar tracking system, ensuring that the solar panel maintains a perpendicular profile to the sun to capture the most solar energy possible. With the help of a DC motor, the LDRs detect changes in the sun’s position, which are caused by corresponding changes in the position of the solar panels. With the suggested system in place, more energy will be produced than with a standard system while using much less energy itself. Households will be able to harvest more solar energy and continue to use affordable electricity if solar energy harvesting efficiency is improved. This work’s second part and extended version focus on the simulation and verification of the design for possible commercial scale.

AB - The frequent power out in South Africa has led most households to install static solar panels to try to remain powered during power outage periods. Solar energy is not harvested to its full potential by static solar panel systems. This paper forms part of the ongoing investigation and demonstrates the hardware design and implementation of a dual-axis solar tracking system, ensuring that the solar panel maintains a perpendicular profile to the sun to capture the most solar energy possible. With the help of a DC motor, the LDRs detect changes in the sun’s position, which are caused by corresponding changes in the position of the solar panels. With the suggested system in place, more energy will be produced than with a standard system while using much less energy itself. Households will be able to harvest more solar energy and continue to use affordable electricity if solar energy harvesting efficiency is improved. This work’s second part and extended version focus on the simulation and verification of the design for possible commercial scale.

KW - Photovoltaic cell

KW - Solar energy

KW - Solar radiation

KW - Solar tracking

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85202165219

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85202165219

SN - 9783031568770

T3 - Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering

SP - 381

EP - 401

BT - Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023

A2 - Rotimi, James Olabode Bamidele

A2 - Shahzad, Wajiha Mohsin

A2 - Sutrisna, Monty

A2 - Kahandawa, Ravindu

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

T2 - 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, EPPM 2023

Y2 - 29 November 2023 through 1 December 2023

ER -

Ngwenya S, Hashe VT , Kunene TJ. Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household. In Rotimi JOB, Shahzad WM, Sutrisna M, Kahandawa R, editors, Advances in Engineering Project, Production, and Technology - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2023. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2024. p. 381-401. (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-56878-7_23

Low-Cost Solar Tracking Device for Household

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this