Design And Implementation Of Solar Pv System With Microcontroller Based Single Axis Tracking System Case Study:

Abstract

This thesis deals about the design and implementation of solar PV system with microcontroller based single axis tracking system. Solar modules are devices that cleanly convert sunlight into electricity and offer a practical solution to the problem of power generation. Solar energy is one form of the renewable energy which is very abundant in regions close to the equator like Ethiopia. Single axis solar tracking system is the project that has used PIC16F877A Microcontroller as a brain to control the whole system because this microcontroller is low cost and easily available in the local market. The light dependent resistor has been used to sense the intensity of light and sent the data to the microcontroller. The stepper motor, with low cost and closed loop position control system has rotated the solar panel. Moving the solar panel in the direction of sun can increase the solar energy harvesting from the solar cell and controller process this information and controls the movement of solar panel attached to stepper motor with driver ULN2003. Proteus 8.0 Professional has been used to design overall circuit diagram and to prepare PCB of the project respectively. The microcontroller has been programmed using powerful embedded C language. The project also displays the direction of rotation of stepper motor on LCD display unit. The optimum solar energy extracted by using this design has been inverted to AC and supplied to the college administration offices to facilitate its training programs. We have taken AC electrical loads / appliances which have existed in the administrative offices and have also calculated the total daily energy demand by using Microsoft Excel to determine PV panels, charge controllers, storage battery, power inverters and cable size.