Bonfring International Journal of Networking Technologies and Applications, Vol. 6, No.

1, March 2019 1

Implementation of Advanced Solar Tracking

and Cleaning to Improve Efficiency

S. Preethi, K. Surya Prakash, S. Swathi and B. Vishnu

Abstract--- Solar energy is the most abundant source of
energy for all forms of life. The sunlight is not used to the
maximum extent in an ordinary solar power system and in
order to take the highest potential of the system, Solar
tracking and cleaning are employed. This project aims at
increasing the efficiency of the solar panel which leads to a
reduction in plant output and overall plant efficiency.
Concatenating the concept of automation and cost-
effectiveness leads to better utilization of solar power. When
there is a change in the intensity of light, the PV panel is
automatically tilted accordingly to achieve a maximum
intensity of light. The cleaning system is used to remove the
accumulated dust on its surface on a regular basis and
maintain the solar panel output which is executed by a robotic
system which could have the nozzle from which the water is
sprinkled on the panel and thus the panel gets cleaned.
Keywords--- Solar Panel, Photoresistor, DC gear motor,
Display, Wiper motor, LM 324, Battery, Timer.
I. INTRODUCTION
pointed at or near the sun works best and can increase the
effectiveness of such equipment over any fixed position at the
cost of additional system complexity. The tracker will enable
the panel to follow the path of the sun and produce more
power as it consumes more sunlight. Concentrations,
especially in solar cell applications, require a high degree of
accuracy to ensure that the concentrated sunlight is directed
precisely to the powered device
The manual cleaning has disadvantaged liked the risk of
staff accidents and damage to the panels, movement
difficulties, poor maintenance etc. The automatic dust
cleaning system of solar panels have taken to overcome the
difficulties arise in the traditional cleaning and also produces
an effective cleaning and avoids the irregularities in the
productivity due to the deposition of dust. The efficiency of
the solar panel also calculated after cleaning the surface for
one day, one week and a month.
II. PHOTOVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGY
The most blooming and convenient source of renewable
energy is solar energy, which can be harnessed by

S OLAR Panels are a form of active solar power that

describes how solar panels making use of the sun’s
energy; solar panels harvest sunlight and actively convert it to
photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells are the basic of the solar
system.
The word photovoltaic comes from “photo” means light
electricity. Solar cells are lining up in a grid-like pattern on and “voltaic” means producing electricity. Therefore, the
the surface of the solar panel. Solar panels are typically photovoltaic process is “producing electricity directly from
constructed with crystalline silicon, which is used in other
sunlight”.
industries and the more expensive gallium arsenic, which is
produced exclusively for use in photovoltaic cells. The amount of light projected on the cell will mediate the
PV panels collect solar radiation from the sun and actively output power of a photovoltaic cell. The factors behind the
convert that energy into electricity. Solar panels are output power are Time of the day, season, panel position and
comprised of several individual solar cells.When the solar orientation. Photovoltaic cells are the miniature part of a solar
cells are exposed to sunlight convert the energy from sunlight panel. At the time when sun is directly aligned with the panel
into usable electrical energy.The photovoltaic effect can be gives maximum power output of solar panel.
defined as being the appearance of a voltage between two
layers of a semiconductor cuts in which the conductivities are
not equal , or between a semiconductor and a metal, under the
effect of a light stream.
A solar tracker is a device for orienting a day lighting
reflector, solar photovoltaic panel. A solar tracker when

S. Preethi, Department of EEE, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and

Technology, Coimbatore. E-mail: preethisakthivel1997@gmail.com
K. Surya Prakash, Department of EEE, Sri Shakthi Institute of
Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore.
E-mail: Suryasubramaniam446@gmail.com
S. Swathi, Department of EEE, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Coimbatore. E-mail: swathishanu98@gmail.com Equivalent Circuit of a Solar Panel
B. Vishnu, Department of EEE, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Coimbatore. E-mail: vishnugowtham97@gmail.com
DOI:10.9756/BIJNTA.9001

ISSN 2320-5377 | © 2019 Bonfring

Bonfring International Journal of Networking Technologies and Applications, Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2019
III. METHODOLOGY
In this paper, the effects of accumulated dust on the
performance of the solar panels are investigated by referring to
the results obtained by experiments in a dusty atmosphere.
Development of a solar panel tracking system has been
ongoing for several years. It is advantageous to have the solar
panels to track location of the sun, as the sun moves across the
sky during the day such that the panels are kept perpendicular
with position of the sun. As the auto cleaner which is equipped
on the tilted solar panel is proposed and an auto cleaning
system is employed to work The design of the auto cleaning
system will have flexibility to fix on different sizes of flat
solar panels.
A. Photoresitor
Cadmium sulphide (CdS) photo resistor is used in the
designed prototype. The CdS photo resistor is a passive
element that has a variable resistor whose resistance inversely
proportional with the intensity of light. The number of free
electrons increases, as the light intensity increases. This means
the photo conductivity increases that tend to decrease in photo
resistivity of the material. To utilize the photo resistor, it is
placed in series with another resistor. A voltage divider is thus
formed at the junction between a photo resistor and another
resistor; the output is taken at the junction point to pass the
measured voltage as an input to the micro controller. In the
solar tracker prototype, it is desired that output voltage at
junction point will increase as the light intensity increases and
so the photo resistor is placed at the top position in series
connection with the resistor.
B. LM 324
The LM324 is the most cost-effective solution for the low
voltage operation, space saving and low price are needed.
LM324 is a 14 pin IC consisting of four independent
operational amplifiers compensated in a single package of IC
saves space on PC boards and enables the design of small
portable electronic devices. The output of the comparator is
high if the voltage at the positive end is more than the voltage
at the negative end and gives low output if the voltage at the
positive end is lesser than the negative end. If LDR1 is
covered and LDR2 is in the light. The resistance of LDR1
increases and the entire voltage drop takes place across it, thus
positive input pin of opamp becomes high while the resistance
of LDR2 becomes low.
C. DC Gear Motor
DC geared motors are essentially a DC shunt motor which
has been specially designed for low inertia, symmetrical
rotation, and high torque. Geared motors are formed from four
different elements such as a DC motor, a position-sensing
device (a potentiometer), a gear reducing part and a control
unit.
All of these materials work together to make the motor to
accept control signals that represent the desired output of the
motor shaft and power the DC motor until its shaft is turned to
the right position.
The shaft is geared motors doesn't rotate as freely as those
ISSN 2320-5377 | © 2019 Bonfring
2
in regular DC motors; it is only able to rotate around 180
degrees in both directions. The advantage of using gear motors
is that they facilitate the design and manufacturing of power
tools and machines which require high torque, or moment of
force, at low revolutions per minute speeds or at low shaft
speeds.
D. Display
Liquid crystal display is an electronic display device that
operates by applying a varying electric voltage to a layer of
liquid crystal, thereby inducing changes in its optical
properties. The basic module of an LCD should be
controllably changed with respect to the applied electric
current. LCDs are used in a wide range of applications
including LCD televisions, instrument panels, indoor and
outdoor signage. The LCD screen is more energy-efficient
and can be disposed of more safely and is used to display the
status of the PV panel direction.
E. Worm Gear
Worm gears are used to transmit power between two non-
intersecting, non-parallel shafts. These gears are generally at
right angles to each other. It composed of a worm and worm
wheel.
The worm is a threaded screw and the worm wheel is toothed
gear. The worm and worm wheel is used in winch machine
gearbox.
The worm wheel teeth envelop the treads on worm which
gives line contact between mating parts. In other gear types, the
drive can be given to any one of the two mating parts. But in
worm gears, the drive is given to the only worm. The worm can
rotate the wheel but worm wheel cannot rotate the worm.
F. Wiper
Wipers are generally used to remove rain, snow, ice, and
debris from the surface of the PV panels.
Wipers can be useful in removing all the snow from the
surface of the panels in rainy and snowy areas where snow
piles up on solar panels.
A sponge wiper, where it percolates down through a
perforated pipe chamber on to the end of the PV panel. The
wipers take away the dirt from the floor and the final roller
wiper collects the dirty water from the surface and dry similar
to a moping action.
G. Battery
Batteries for PV system batteries generally have to
discharge a smaller current for a longer period of time, such as
at night or during a power outage, while being charged during
the day.
For the purpose of discharging to a lower capacity,
between 50% and 80%, than a conventional battery Deep
cycle batteries are designed.
Lead acid battery is commonly used for deep cycle
discharge.
Bonfring International Journal of Networking Technologies and Applications, Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2019 3

IV. BLOCK DIAGRAM VI. MOTOR GEAR ARRANGEMENT

Initially the solar panel is at 30 degree of elevation. The
circuit is relatively simple and uses window comparator which
keeps the drive motor idle as long as the two LDRs are
subjected to the same illumination. Half the operating voltage
is then applied to the non inverting input A1 and to inverting
input A2. When the position of the sun changes, the
illumination affecting LDRs R1 and R2 is different.
The input of the window comparator deviates from half the
supply voltage, so that the output of comparator provides
information to the motor for clockwise or anticlockwise
rotation. If the less light reaches LDR R2 than LDR R1, the
voltage at point A rises to more than half the supply voltage,
then motor runs. If the illumination changes then motor rotates
in the opposite direction. The use of this control circuit makes
V. WORKING PRINCIPLE it possible to control the solar panel , in order to track the sun
two control circuits will be required.
A. Solar Tracking
The daily movement causes the sun to appear in east to
west direction over the earth whereas the annual motion
causes the sun to tilt at an angle of 30 degrees while moving
along east-west direction. The motor is fixed to the shaft with
the help of belt as the motor start to rotate the shaft get rotate
and with the help of the shaft the solar panel will be move.
The control unit computes the sun tracking algorithm and
coordinates the movement of the positioning system. The
positioning system moves the panel to face the sun at the
Optimum angles.
B. Cleaning Mechanism
In accordance with the dimensions of the flat plate panel
the solar panel cleaning system consists of brush driven by DC
gear motors. The cyclic timer is one of the main device which
can control the cleaning of panel in a time interval. The
rotation of the wiper depends on the timer mode function
which rotates in specific duration of the time. The frame
carrying this cleaning brush is moved along the length of the
solar panel in vertical direction and vice-versa, which results
in mopping action on the solar panel cleaning the panels.
The tank is fill with the water and the water pump directly
place in the tank. As the pump get start it supply water
towards the nozzle and the nozzle sprinkle water on the solar
panel so that with the help of water dust and dirt on the panel
get clean. After that the water can be filter and reuse for the
system .All this cleaning actions will consume a time of
300sec for mopping action for both movements of cleaning
system in horizontal direction and vertical directions.
C. Display Unit
The display unit is used to diplay the direction of the sun
either in east or west direction. First the solar panel is placed
in the east direction in early morning where sun rises. Later
the sun moves to the west direction then the Pv panel tilt
towards west direction which can display in LCD using
LABVIEW program.

ISSN 2320-5377 | © 2019 Bonfring

Bonfring International Journal of Networking Technologies and Applications, Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2019 4

CONDITION sensor for tracking the sun. This system helps to generate
more energy in the Indian climatic condition and helps India
1. If LDR 1 is greater than LDR 2, it display EAST
to become superpower country in 2030.
direction.
2. If LDR 2 is greater than LDR 1, it display EAST
direction. 60

VII. CONCLUSION 50
The aim of this paper was the movement of a motor by
signals from light sensing circuit when the intensity of light 40
is maximum, which has been successfully achieved because
30
of a combination of tracking and cleaning system as a single
system.For a fixed solar panel, the efficiency of receiving 20
solar energy is only 39% while for a tracking panel is 70%.
The IC 324 drives the motor in the direction sensed by the 10
light dependent resistor.
A mechanism of sun tracking with automatic cleaning of 0
PV modules is presented and cleaning mechanism of the PV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Stationary Proposed
modules consists of sliding brushes, which slides over the
module and cleans on PV panel and makes a rotation of 180
degrees, in a day. A Sun tracker is designed employing the Efficiency of Solar Power in Watts
new principle of using small solar cells to function as self-
adjusting light sensors, providing a variable indicative of REFERENCES
their relative angle to the sun by detecting their voltage [1] K.M.T. Arafat, S.M. Shahrear Tanzil, R. Rahman and S.M. Shafiul
Alam, “Design and construction of an automatic solar tracking
output. From the results, it is found that, by the automatic system”, In International Conference on Electrical & Computer
tracking system, there is the gain in the increase of Engineering (ICECE 2010), Pp. 326-329, 2010.
efficiency when compared with the non-tracking system. [2] T. Ravi and C.S. Solanki, “360 sun tracking with automated cleaning
system for solar PV modules”, 35th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists
To reduces the cost of the manual cleaning process and Conference, Pp. 002895-002898.
also increases the tracking efficiency. The cleaning action [3] A. Sulaiman Shaharin., H.H. Hussain, N.S.H.N. Leh, and M.S.I.
of the brush was good but it failed to scrub the dust which Razali, “Effects of Dust on the Performance of PV Panels”, World
Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, Vol. 58,
was sticky in nature. The sticky dust needs to be removed No. 2011, Pp. 588-593, 2011.
using a hard brush or through mopping action. [4] P. Bhavesh and A. Agrawal, “Automatic sun tracking system using
PSoC”, International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
This system can extend to two axis tracking by rotating Engineering and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2012.
one axis manually and other axis automatically as rotated in
this system since this mechanism does not require any

ISSN 2320-5377 | © 2019 Bonfring

Bonfring International Journal of Networking Technologies and Applications, Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2019 5

[5] D. Gagari and A. Bardhan Roy, “Use of solar tracking system for
extracting solar energy”, International Journal of Computer and
Electrical Engineering, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2012.
[6] D. Sumit, A. Mohanty, A. Dey and A. Biswas, “An integrated design
of an auto clean and cooling smart PV panel”, International Journal
of Innovations in Engineering and Technology (IJIET), Vol. 4,
Pp. 80-88, 2015.
[7] K.V. Sundara Siva and S. Suryanarayana, “Automatic dual axis sun
tracking system using ldr sensor”, International Journal of Current
Engineering and Technology, Vol. 4, No. 5, Pp. 3214-3217, 2014.
[8] E.J. Oduobuk, E.B. Ettah and E.E. Ekpenyong, “Design and
implementation of automatic three phase changer using LM324 quad
integrated circuit”, International journal of engineering and
technology research, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2014.
[9] K.A. Pranesh and K. Saranya, “Solar Tracking System using DC
Gear Motor J”, Appications Inf. Commun. Eng. Febr., Vol. 1, 20-33,
2015.
[10] A. Sinha, M. Das and J. Singha, “Design of a Sun Tracker with
Position Display” IJECS, 2015.
[11] R.O. Chime, T.O. Chime and R.C. Chime, “Design, modeling,
simulation of worm gears: analysis of worm gears”, International
Journal of Engineering Science and Innovative Technology,
(IJESIT), Vol. 5, No. 5, Pp. 21-32, 2016.
[12] V.J. Babrekar, M.S. Kurhekar, K.K. Mulmule and D.B. Mohade,
“Review on Automatic Solar Radiation Tracking System”, IJSER,
2016.
[13] A. Sinha and A. Preet, “Automatic Solar Tracker with Pre-Installed
Panel Cleaner”, IJARIIT, 2017.
[14] P.B. Gohil, D.P. Jadav and C.N. Katakiya “Solar Battery Charger”,
IJEDR, 2017.
[15] P. Pawar, A. Yadav, P. Makwana and S. Patil, “Solar Tracking
System Using Arduino”, IJSER, 2018.
[16] P. Nikhil, N. Akshay, L. Ankush, N. Dhananjay and P.C. Bhavsar,
“Design and Development of Solar Tracking System & Cleaning
System”, IJARIIE, 2018.
[17] M. Mohamud Ahmed, M. Kamrul Hasan and M. Shafiq,
“Development of Automatic Solar Tracking System for Small Solar
Energy System”, IJET, 2018.

ISSN 2320-5377 | © 2019 Bonfring