Solartracking Review

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SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEM- A REVIEW
Article in International Journal of Sustainable Engineering · January 2016

DOI: 10.1080/19397038.2016.1267816
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International Journal of Sustainable Engineering
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Solar Tracking System-A review
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Engineering

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Manuscript ID TSUE-2014-0050.R2
Manuscript Type: Review Paper

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Date Submitted by the Author: 12-Oct-2015
Complete List of Authors: krishna, sunitha; st.peters university, mechanical

K, Rajan; DR.M.G.R university, Mechanical
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Keywords: Green engineering, Renewable energy, Renewable energy technologies
solar energy, photovoltaic, solar tracking system, Azimuth, Passive

User-Supplied Keywords:
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URL: http:/mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tsue
Page 1 of 56 International Journal of Sustainable Engineering
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4 Solar Tracking System-A review
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6 Suneetha Racharla1*, K Rajan2
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Department of mechanical engineering, Research scholar in St.Peter’s university.
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Department of mechanical engineering, Dr.M.G.R University, Chennai
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suneetha 220@gmail.com, krajanmech@gmail.com
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13 Abstract
14 The generation of power from the reduction of fossil fuels is the biggest challenge
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16 for the next half century. The idea of converting solar energy into electrical energy using
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photovoltaic panels holds its place in the front row compared to other renewable sources. But the
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21 continuous change in the relative angle of the sun with reference to the earth reduces the watts
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23 delivered by solar panel. In this context solar tracking system is the best alternative to increase
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26 the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel. Solar trackers move the payload towards the sun
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28 throughout the day. In this paper different types of tracking systems are reviewed and their pros
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and cons are discussed in detail. The results presented in this review confirm that the azimuth
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33 and altitude dual axis tracking system is more efficient compared to other tracking systems.
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35 However in cost and flexibility point of view single axis tracking system is more feasible than
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dual axis tracking system.
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40 KEYWORDS: Solar energy, Photovoltaic panel, solar tracker, Azimuth, passive
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42 actuator,latitude.
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45 1. Introduction
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47 Nowadays the energy deficiency problems faced by the world, more especially the third
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49 world countries, are urging researchers to find an alternative energy source that would
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52 complement the conventional fossil fuel. The alternative energy sources include solar, nuclear
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54 and wind. Solar energy is the energy generated by harnessing the power of the solar radiation. It
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is the cleanest source of energy which can pollute the climate the least. The power from the sun
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International Journal of Sustainable Engineering Page 2 of 56
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intercepted by the earth is approximately 1.8*1011MW, which is many thousands of times larger
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6 than the present consumption rate on the earth from all other in-use commercial energy sources.
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8 The main problem with the solar energy is its dilute nature. Even in the hottest regions on the
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earth, the solar radiation flux available rarely exceeds 1 KW/M, which is insufficient for
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13 technological utilization. This problem can be rectified by a device solar tracker which ensures
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15 maximum intensity of sun rays hitting the surface of the panel from sun-rise to sunset.
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18 1.1. Solar geometry and solar angles
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20 The Earth’s orbit about the Sun is almost circular at an average distance of 149.6 million km.
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22 The Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted by an angle Ɛ=23.441o with respect to the normal to the
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plane of the Earth’s orbit (Fig. 1) [1]. The plane of the Earth’s orbit is named as the plane of the
25 ecliptic. The plane passing through the Earth’s equator is inclined perpendicularly to the plane of
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27 the ecliptic, at an angle Ɛ (angle of obliquity). Based on conservation of angular momentum, the
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29 Earth’s axis of rotation points as a fixed direction in space which means for the same location on
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Earth, at a fixed time (for midday as determined by solar time), the altitude of the Sun (the
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angular height above the horizon) will vary throughout the year.
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34 Fig. 1.Schematic diagram of earth orbit around sun
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35 [Source: Sproul et al. (2007)]

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38 In order to derive the solar angles, need to define suitable reference frames. Three principal
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reference frames will be used, the ecliptic, the equatorial and the horizon reference frames [2].
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41 These reference frames are centered or referenced to the centre of the Earth and the apparent
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43 motion of the Sun is considered for calculations. The Sun and other celestial bodies are assumed
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45 to lay on the celestial sphere (Fig.2) a sphere with a large radius. The daily rotation of the earth is
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47 described by the rotation of the celestial sphere about the polar axis, and the instantaneous
48 position of the sun is given by the hour angle ω, the angle between the meridian passing through
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50 the sun and the meridian of the site. The celestial sphere is imagined to rotate about the fixed
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52 Earth to depict the daily, apparent motion of the Sun and other celestial bodies (Fig.2) [44].
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54 Fig.2. Celestial sphere geometry of the Sun and Earth
56 1.2. The nomenclature
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1. Declination angle (δ)
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6 It is the angular distance of the sun’s position in north or south of the earth’s equator (Fig.3). The
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8 earth’s axis is tilted 23.34° from the plane of the earth’s orbit around the sun and the earth is in
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its annual path around the sun causes the declination angle to vary from 23.45° north on
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13 december 21st (Winter Solstice) to 23.45° south on June 21st (Summer Solstice) [45-47].
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15 Fig.3.Solar angles
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18 2. The altitude angle or elevation angle (α)
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20 It shows how high the sun appears in the sky. The angle is measured between an imaginary line
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22 between the observer and the sun and the horizontal plane the observer is standing on. The
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25 altitude angle is negative when the sun drops below the horizon (Fig.3) [45-47].
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27 3. Solar azimuth angle (ϒs)

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It is the angular distance between South and the projection of the line of sight to the sun on the
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32 ground. A positive solar azimuth angle indicates a position East of South, and a negative azimuth
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34 angle indicates West of South (Fig.3) [45-47].
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37 The latitude (w)
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39 It is a point or location is the angle made by the radial line joining the location to the center of
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41 the earth with the projection of the line on the equatorial plane. The earth’s axis of rotation
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44 intersects the earth’s surface at 90o latitude (North Pole) and -90o latitude (South Pole). Any
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46 location on the surface of the earth then can be defined by the intersection of a longitude angle
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48 and a latitude angle.
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53 2. Components of solar tracking system
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The main mechanism of the solar tracking system consists of the tracking device, the
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6 tracking algorithm, the control unit, the positioning system, the driving mechanism, and the
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8 sensing devices. The tracking algorithm determines the angles which are used to determine the
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position of solar tracker. There are two types of algorithms-astronomical algorithms and real
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13 time light intensity algorithms. The astronomical algorithm is a purely mathematical algorithm
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15 based on astronomical references. The real-time light intensity algorithm is based on real-time
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18 light intensity readings. The control unit performs the tracking algorithm and manages the
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20 positioning system and the driving mechanism. The positioning system operates the tracking
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22 device to face the sun at the calculated angles. The positioning system can be electrical or
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25 hydraulic. The driving mechanism is responsible for moving the tracking device to the position
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27 determined by the positioning system. The sensing devices are group of sensors and
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measurements that measure the ambient conditions, the light intensity in case of real-time light
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32 intensity algorithms, and the tilt angle of the tracker (by means of an inclinometer or a
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34 combination of limit switches and motor encoder counts) [45].
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37 3. Solar tracking system Vs fixed panel
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39 The amount of output mainly depends on the cosine angle of incidence which is known as the
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41 angle between the sun ray and horizontal surface. The minimum incidence angle gives the
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44 maximum power output. In case of fixed panel except noon time the angle is maximum for the
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46 movement of sun. The efficient solar tracker is which can correct this problem. The first solar
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48 tracker introduced by Finster in 1962, was completely mechanical. One year later, Saavedra
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51 presented a mechanism with an automatic electronic control, which was used to orient an Eppley
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53 pyrheliometer [3]. Anusha et al.[4] compared the fixed PV panel and single axis solar tracking
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based on real time clock(RTC) using ARM processor. The experiment is conducted using both
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fixed and tracking system for 6 days. The results show that the solar tracking system increased
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6 the efficiency around 40% and energy received from the sun is improved from 9.00AM to 6.00
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8 PM. Dhanabal et al.[5] compared the efficiencies of static panels and tracking systems of single
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axis and dual axis fixed mount. The readings are taken from morning 8 AM to evening 6 PM for
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13 fixed panel, single axis tracker and dual axis tracker for every one hour. The results says the
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15 efficiency of the single axis tracking system over that of the static panel is calculated to be
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18 32.17% and dual axis tracking system over that of the static panel is calculated to be 81.68%.
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20 Tiberiu tudorache et al [6] compared the solar tracking PV panel with a fixed PV panel in terms
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22 of electric energy output and efficiency. The proposed device automatically searches the
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25 optimum PV panel position with respect to the sun by means of a DC motor controlled by an
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27 intelligent drive unit that receives input signals from dedicated light intensity sensors. The solar
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tracking PV panel produced more energy than fixed one with about 57.55%. Bione et al. [7]
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32 compared the pumping systems driven by fixed, tracking and tracking with concentration PVs.
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34 The results showed that for a given irradiance, the pumped water flow rate was significantly
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37 different from one another. The fixed PV, the PV with tracker and the concentrating-tracking
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39 systems pumped 4.9, 7.4 and 12.6m3/day, respectively. Snehal et al. [8] proposed a Field
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41 Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) sensor Based Standalone Solar Tracking System. Sun
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44 tracking system composed of fuzzy logic controller implemented on FPGA sensors, PV panel,
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46 stepper motor, and input-output interface. Xilinx_ISE software is used for coding of FLC for Sun
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48 tracking. The results show that tracking has maximum efficiency than fixed panels.
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51 4. Different types of solar tracking techniques
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53 Fig 4.Solar tracking technologies
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4.1 Based on collectors
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6 4.1.1. Flat plate photovoltaic panel (PV)
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8 In flat-panel photovoltaic applications, trackers are used to minimize the angle of
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incidence between the incoming sunlight and a photovoltaic panel. Masakazu Ito et al. [9]
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13 proposed a comparative study of fixed and tracking system of very large-scale PV (VLS-PV)
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15 systems in the world deserts. The work focused on the potential and simulation of the
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18 100MW.Life cycle analysis is applied for the simulation. The potentials are evaluated from
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20 economic viewpoint by LCA method. The results shows that cost reduced by applying tracking
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22 system. Marcel Sur et al. [10] produced solar electricity from fixed-inclined and sun-tracking
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25 crystalline silicon (C-SI) photovoltaic modules in South Africa. The work presents a method to
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27 for estimating the energy output from fixed-mounted and sun-axis tracking flat-plate PV
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systems. The simulation uses the solar radiation and temperature time series representing a
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32 historical record of 18 years (1994 to 2011).The Results shows one axis tracker with vertical axis
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34 inclined 30 degrees north typically gains from 15% up to 35% more electricity, compared to
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37 fixed mounting at optimum tilt.Anyaka et al. [11] studied the Improvement of PV Systems
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39 Power Output Using Sun-Tracking Techniques. The work presented the detailed view of sun
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41 tracking systems developed over the past years. The results prove that the applicability of sun
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44 tracking system gives a diverse range of high performance solar-based applications.
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46 4.1.2 Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV)

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48 The optics in CPV modules accept the direct component of the incoming light to
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51 maximize the energy collected. The tracking functionality in CPV modules is used to orient the
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53 optics such that the incoming light is focused to a photovoltaic collector. Tony Kerzmann et al.
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[12] studied the flow rate optimization of a linear concentrating photovoltaic system. The work
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focused on a two dimensional linear concentrated photovoltaic (LCPV) combined with an active
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6 cooling and waste heat recovery system. The results shows that an optimal cooling fluid flow at a
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8 rate of 4 gal/min (2.52×10−4m3/s) would produce and average of 45.9 kWh of electricity and
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15.9 kWh of heat energy. Tripanagnostopoulos et al. [13] proposed the design and performance
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13 aspects for low concentration photovoltaic. The non-uniform distribution of solar radiation on
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15 the PV surface reduces the electrical efficiency and can be rectified by combining the PV with
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18 low concentration devices. The diffuse reflectors are used instead of specular reflectors because
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20 of their low cost. The PV temperature reduction is also a factor so several modes for heat
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22 extraction are applied; using water or air cooled hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar
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25 systems. Benecke et al. [14] developed the Optical design of low concentrator photovoltaic
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27 modules. This work addresses the necessary procedures that need to be considered when
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designing an optical sub-system of low concentrator photovoltaic (LCPV) module. Various
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32 design considerations are taken into account to construct a LCPV module that is characterized
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34 with respect to optical design and electrical performance. Benecke et al. [15] implemented the
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37 design and analysis of a vertical receiver LCPV system. The work presents the design aspects of
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39 the optical and electrical subsystem of LCPV with a geometric concentration ratio of 4.6.An
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41 electrical estimation is conducted by the use of I-V (current-voltage) characteristics obtained

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44 under sun as well as under concentration.
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46 4.1.3Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

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48 Concentrating solar power or concentrated solar thermal systems use mirrors or lenses to
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51 concentrate a large area of sunlight or solar thermal energy onto a small area. Electrical power is
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53 produced when the concentrated light is converted into heat, which drives a heat engine (usually
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a steam turbine) connected to an electrical power generator or powers a thermo chemical
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reaction. Miqdam Tariq et al. [16] studied the effect of design variation on saved energy of
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6 Concentrating Solar Power prototype. The work discussed about the methods to improve the
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8 efficiency of the concentrated solar thermal plant. El jai et al. [17] implemented a modified
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model for parabolic trough solar receiver using concentrated solar thermal energy. The work
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13 concentrates on the original mathematical model that describes the heat exchange between the
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15 main components of a thermal solar collector in an integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) plant.
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18 The solar plant is an integrated combined cycle thermo-solar power plant consists of 256
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20 parabolic trough solar collectors and classified in 64 parallel loops and each loop is 618 meters
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22 long. The use of the solar tracking mechanism is to maintain the incident solar radiation
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25 perpendicular to the reflector and to the focal line of the parabola where a receiver tube contains
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27 the heat transfer fluid. The different simulation results show that both the fluid temperature and
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the metal tube temperature grow until reaching a certain equilibrium value.
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32 4.2 Based on the axis
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34 4.2.1. Single axis tracker
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37 Single axis trackers have one degree of freedom that acts as an axis of rotation. The axis
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39 of rotation of single axis trackers is typically aligned along a true North meridian. Rizk et al. [18]
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41 developed solar tracking system with more efficient use of solar panels. This work includes the
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44 potential system benefits of simple tracking solar system of single axis tracker using a stepper
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46 motor and light sensor. This method is increasing power collection efficiency by implementing a
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48 device that tracks the sun to keep the panel at a right angle to sun rays. The power gain is
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51 increased 30% over a fixed horizontal array.
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53 4.2.1.1. Horizontal Single Axis Tracker (HSAT)
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The axis of rotation for horizontal single axis tracker is horizontal with respect to the
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6 ground. Backtracking is one of computing the disposition of panels [48]. Guihua et al. [19]
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8 calculated the optical performance of horizontal single axis tracked solar panels. From the results
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it is clear that the east-west placed HSAT is worst to boost the energy while the north-south
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13 placed HSAT increased the efficiency drastically around 36%.
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15 Fig 5.Horizontal Single Axis Tracker
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18 4.2.1.2. Vertical Single Axis Tracker (VSAT)
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20 The axis of rotation for vertical single axis trackers is vertical with respect to the ground. These
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22 trackers rotate from east to west over the course of the day. Lorenzo et al. [20] designed the
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25 tracking of photovoltaic systems with a single vertical axis. The vertical single axis tracking also
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27 called as azimuth tracking is mainly used for the energy gain which can be 40% more compared
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to tilted static panels. This research work deals with the design of VSAT photovoltaic plant in
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32 Tudela. The problems of shadowing in E-W direction and also N-S direction and the methods to
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34 rectify are explained in detail. The results clearly specify that VSAT boosted the energy gain
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37 around 40% per annum.
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39 4.2.1.3. Tilted Single Axis Tracker (TSAT)
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41 The tracker with axes of rotation between horizontal and vertical is named as tilted single
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44 axis tracker. Tracker tilt angles are often limited to reduce the wind profile and decrease the
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46 elevated end height. As a module tracks, it sweeps a cylinder that is rotationally symmetric
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48 around the axis of rotation [45].
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51 4.2.1.4. Polar Aligned Single Axis Tracker (PSAT)
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This method is scientifically well known as the standard method of mounting a telescope
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6 support structure. The tilted single axis is aligned to the polar star. It is therefore called a polar
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8 aligned single axis tracker [46].
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Fig 6. Polar Aligned Single Axis Tracker
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13 4.2.2 Dual Axis Tracking
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18 another. The axis that is fixed with respect to the ground is a primary axis. The axis that is
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20 referenced to the primary axis is secondary axis [48].
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22 Fig 7. Dual Axis SolarTracker
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25 4.2.2.1. Tip-Tilt Dual Axis Tracker (TTDAT)
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27 A tip–tilt dual axis tracker is so-named because the panel array is mounted on the top of a
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pole. Normally the east-west movement is driven by rotating the array around the top of the pole.
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32 The vertical azimuth axis is fixed so as to allow great flexibility of the payload connection to the
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34 ground mounted equipment because there is no twisting of the cabling around the pole. Tip-tilt
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37 trackers can make to minimize up-sun shading and therefore maximize the total power being
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39 collected [21-25].
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44 An azimuth–altitude dual axis tracker has its primary axis (the azimuth axis) vertical to
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46 the ground and the secondary axis (elevation axis) is normal to the primary axis. The operation is
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48 similar to tip-tilt systems but differ in the way the array is rotated for daily tracking. Instead of
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51 rotating the array around the top of the pole, they use a large ring mounted on the ground with
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53 the array mounted on a series of rollers. The main advantage of this arrangement is the weight of
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the array is distributed over a portion of the ring [47]. Liqun Liu et al. [26] discussed about the
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influence factors analysis of the best orientation relative to the sun for dual-axis sun tracking. In
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6 this research work different types of tracking systems are reviewed such as fixed panel, single
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8 axis tracking in east-west, single axis tracking in north-south, and dual axis tracking using both
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tip-tilt and altitude-azimuth tracking. The results show the influencing factors are time error,
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13 latitude, and azimuth and tilt angle of the photovoltaic, reflectivity and composite transparent
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15 coefficient. Arbab et al. [27] implemented a computer tracking system of solar dish with two-
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18 axis degree freedoms based on picture processing of bar shadow. The design is based on
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20 computer image processing of a bar shadow to obtain the optimized picture of solar dish
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22 displacements. The system is independent to geographical location of the solar dish and
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25 periodical changes like daily or monthly regulations. Jifeng Song et al. [28] implemented a high
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27 precision dual axis tracking system based on a hybrid strategy designed for concentrated sunlight
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transmission via fibers. This system is based on a two-stage tracking process, which consists of a
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32 coarse adjustment based on the coordinate calculation algorithm and a fine adjustment using a
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34 specially designed photosensitive sensor. In this design optical fibers are used for the precision
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37 tracking of concentrated sunlight. The advantage of this design is the higher resolution of the sun
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39 sensor because of the use of photosensitive arrays in closer arrangement. From the results it is
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41 clear that system tracked the sun’s focal spot with a position precision of less than 0.3 mm and
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44 the tracking angle precision is 0.1o. Jay Robert et al. [29] proposed the optimization of a small
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46 scale dual-axis solar tracking system using nano watt technology. The solar module is placed
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48 first in any one direction and the PV array has to search and stop at the highest current gained by
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51 the solar cell. The process is continued for every 30 minutes from 0600H up to 1800H. The
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53 results are measured in these positions for current, voltage and power. An open loop control is
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used for controlling the motors. Reis et al. [30] proposed the Modeling the performance of low
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concentration photovoltaic systems. A theoretical model is implemented to study the response of
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6 voltage-through systems in terms of temperature, power output and energy yield using as inputs.
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8 The device is constructed by integrating dual axis system and conventional crystalline Si-
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module, named as double sun technology. The results conclude that the double sun technology is
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13 increased the efficiency around 86% compared to fixed panels. Mohammed et al. [31] designed a
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15 parabolic solar cooker with automatic two axes sun tracking system. The solar cooker with
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18 automatic two axes eliminates the standing in the sun for hours to get frequent tracking and
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20 facing the concentrated solar cooker. The results of the continuous test performed for three days
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22 from 8:30 hr to 16:30 hr in the year 2008 and showed that the water temperature inside the
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25 cooker’s tube reached 90oC in typical summer days for the maximum registered ambient
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27 temperature was 36 C. Ahmed Rhif et al. [32] implemented a position control review for a
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photovoltaic system dual axis sun tracker. This work presents a sun tracker without using sun
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32 sensors. The sun tracking is performed by changing the solar panel orientation in horizontal and
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34 vertical directions by two motors. The control of these motors is ensured by a microcontroller.
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37 Sliding mode control is used to solve the nonlinear equations. The simulation results conclude
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39 that tracking improves the efficiency around 40% than fixed panel. Okpeki et al. [33] designed
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41 and constructed a bi-directional solar tracking system. This research work includes the design
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44 and fabrication of a bi-directional tracker which can rotate in both azimuth and altitude
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46 directions. The two influencing factors of power output are intensity and wave length of sun
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48 light are addressed in detail. The results conclude that the efficiency is drastically more
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51 compared to fixed panel and the total cost of the tracker is very low. George Bakos et al. [34]
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53 implemented a two-axis Sun tracking system for parabolic trough collector (PTC) efficiency
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improvement. Parabolic trough is used with two axis rotation to the sun. The results conclude
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that parabolic collector is increasing the energy than flat collector. Rodiek et al. [35] conducted
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6 solar photovoltaic array tilt angle and tracking performance experiment. Advanced software
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8 models were developed to calculate the change of path by the sun throughout the year and to
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predict the optimum angle for the single axis tracker to obtain maximum energy output for the
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13 entire year. Two modeling programs are discussed to predict the optimal angle. For the
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15 experiment five panels are used in a single axis to track azimuthally at the tilt angles of 20º, 25º,
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18 32º (latitude), 40º, and 50º. One more panel is a fixed control panel facing south at latitude tilt.
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20 The results are taken for one year and they conclude that a higher tilted panel (50º) will produce
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22 more power throughout the year compared to modeling from PV Watts that suggests a 32º tilt.
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25 4.3. Based on driver
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27 4.3.1. Active tracker

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4.3.1.1. Microcontroller and electro-optical sensor based solar tracker:
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32 Sobuj Kumar Ray et al. [36] presented two ways of rotating freedom solar tracker by
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34 using microcontroller. The work includes the design of a two ways rotating freedom solar tracker
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37 based on microcontroller.PIC16F72 microcontroller is used to activate the motors to get two
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39 ways rotation.LDC sensors are used to get the information about sun radiation. The results are
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41 compared with conventional solar tracker without microcontroller and also with fixed panels.
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44 The difference is almost 37% between fixed panel and tracking system with microcontroller.
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46 Yousif El-Tous et al. [37] studied the thermal evaluation of a sun tracking solar cooker using
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48 microcontroller. The work contains the implementation of tracking system developed for getting
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51 the solar heating using solar cooker. A microcontroller is used for rotating the solar heater with
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53 the movement of the sun. PLC system is used as control system. A comparison between fixed
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and sun tracked cooker showed that the use of sun tracking increased the heating temperature by
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36%. Mostefa Ghassoul et al. [38] proposed design of an automatic solar tracking system to
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6 maximize energy extraction. This solar tracking system is controlled by a micro chip PIC
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8 18F452 micro controller. The search mechanism (PILOT) locates the position of the sun and the
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intelligent panel mechanism rotates itself with the PILOT to extract the maximum energy. The
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13 main defect in this is the rotation only takes place, if the energy obtained in the new position is
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15 higher than that consumed by the panels during the transition. So one miniature motor is used s
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18 to search the best position for maximum energy extraction. The panel’s mechanism rotates to the
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20 position automatically when energy extraction is optimal. The system is designed in such a way
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22 that panels only follow the sun if that contributes to extra energy extraction and at the same time,
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25 the energy consumed by the panel driving motor is less than that extracted. Jing-Min Wang et al.
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27 [39] proposed the design and implementation of a sun tracker with a dual-axis single motor for
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an optical sensor-based photovoltaic system. This work proposes a novel design of a dual-axis
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32 solar tracking PV system which utilizes the feedback control theory along with a four-quadrant
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34 light dependent resistor (LDR) sensor and simple electronic circuits to provide robust system
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37 performance. The proposed system uses a unique dual-axis AC motor and a stand-alone PV
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39 inverter to accomplish solar tracking. Experiment results indicated that the developed system
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41 increased the energy gain up to 28.31% for a partly cloudy day.

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44 4.3.1.2. Auxiliary bifacial solar cell based solar tracker
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46 Bhupendra Gupta et al. [40] explained the design, construction and effectiveness of a
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48 hybrid automatic solar tracking system for amorphous and crystalline solar cells. This work
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51 includes the design a Hybrid solar tracking system implemented by integrating with amorphous
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53 and crystalline solar panel, and microcontroller. The experiment consists of the analysis on the
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use of two different material of solar panel like Amorphous and Crystalline in a solar tracking
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3
system at stationary, single axis, and dual axis and hybrid axis solar tracker. The comparison
4
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6 shows that the use of the dual-axis tracking system produced 17.87% gain of power output than a
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8 single-axis tracking system. The gain of output power with the hybrid tracking system is further
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more (52%) than a stationary system inclined at 23.5o to the horizontal.
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13 4.3.1.3 Date, time and sensor based
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15 In the date/time and sensor based tracking systems, electronic devices like
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18 microprocessor calculates the sun’s position from basic formulae or algorithms from
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20 geographical information and send signals to the electro motor (Fig.5).
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22 Fig. 8 Position of PV modules in the morning and afternoon
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Edwards et al. [41] presented the operation of a computer based sun following system for
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26 parabolic collectors. The computer continuously varies the speed of each collector actuators at
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28 regular intervals throughout the day. The results conclude that for accurate sun following, the
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system requires a data output from the central controller of only 500 bit/s for 10,000 collectors
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33 per day.
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35 4.3.2. Passive tracker

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37
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38 The passive trackers use a boiling point from a compressed fluid which moves from one
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40 side to other by the solar heat which creates a gas pressure results the tracker movement [42].
On
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Due to the bad quality of precision orientation, it is unsuitable for certain types of photovoltaic
44
45 collectors. In the passive tracker the photovoltaic panels include a hologram behind stripes of
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47 photovoltaic cells so that sunlight reflects [37] on the hologram which allows the cell heat from
48
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50 behind, thereby increasing the modules’ efficiency. Moreover, the plant need not require moving
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52 while the hologram still reflects sunlight from the needed angle toward the photovoltaic cells.
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54 Jeyaganesh et al.[43] proposed the design and development of a sun tracking mechanism using
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57 the Direct SMA actuation. The Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) element acts as sensor and actuator
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position the solar receptor tilted appropriately to face the sun directly at all times during the day.
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6 The thermal stimulus required to activate the SMA element is provided by the concentration and
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8 direct focusing of the incident sun rays on to the SMA element. The results show the possibility
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of the design and development of a sun tracking mechanism using SMA that directly uses
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13 sunlight without the need for any additional external power source.
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15 Table.1.Comparision table for different tracking systems
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18 Table.2. Comparision table on cost and payback for different tracking systems
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20 5. Conclusion
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22 The innovative designs in sun tracking systems have enabled the development of many
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25 solar thermal and photovoltaic systems for a diverse variety of applications in recent years
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27 compared to the traditional fixed panels. Solar systems which track the changes in the sun’s
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trajectory over the course of the day collect a far greater amount of solar energy, and therefore
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32 generate a significantly higher output power. This paper has presented a review of the major
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34 types of sun tracking systems developed over the past 20 years. It has been shown that these sun
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37 tracking systems can be broadly classified as single axis and dual axis, depending on their mode
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39 of rotation. Further it can be classified as active and passive tracker depending on the actuator.
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41 The sub division and their basic principles of each method have been reviewed. Overall, the
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44 results presented in this review confirm that the azimuth and altitude dual axis tracking system is
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46 more efficient compared to other tracking systems. However in cost and flexibility point of view
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48 single axis tracking system is more feasible than dual axis. In future the present paper details will
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50
51 be useful in selecting an accurate and particular tracker with respect to region, available space
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53 and estimated cost. The present work may be useful to improve the design characteristics of
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different types of solar tracking systems to improve performance.
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1
2
3
6. References:
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5
6 1. Mitton S, 1977.The Cambridge encyclopedia of astronomy. London: 1st ed.
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8 2. Alistair,B.sproul. 2007. “Derivation of solar geometric relationships using vector analysis.”
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Renewable energy 32: 1187-1205
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13 3. Roth,p.georgiev., Boudinov.A., and Cheap.H. 2005. “Two axis sun following device.” Energy
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15 conservation and management 46:1179-92.
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18 4. Anusha.K., Chandra.S., and Mohan Reddy. 2013. “Design and development of real time clock
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20 based efficient solar tracking system.” International journal of Engineering Research and
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22 Applications (IJERA) 3:1219-1223.
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25 5. Dhanabal.R., Bharathi.V., Ranjitha.R., Ponni.A., Deepthi.S., and Mageshkannan.P. 2013.
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27 “Comparison of efficiencies of solar tracker systems with static panel single axis tracking system
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34 6. Tiberiu tudorache., Constantin daniel oancea., and Lliviu kreindler. 2012. “Performance
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37 evaluation of a solar tracking PV panel.” U.P.B. Sci. Bull series C 74:3-10.
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39 7. Bione.J., Vilela.OC., and Fraidenraich.N. 2004. “Comparison of the performance of PV water
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41 pumping systems driven by fixed, tracking and V-trough generators.” Solar energy 76:703-11.
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44 8. Snehal Hon.P., Kolte.M.T. 2013. “FPGA Based Standalone Solar Tracking System.”
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46 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications l3:1-5.

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48 9. Masakazu Ito., Kazuhiko Kato., Keiichi Komoto., Tetsuo Kichimi., Hiroyuki Sugihara., and
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51 Kosuke Kurokawa. 2003. “Comparative study of fixed and tracking system of very large-scale
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53 PV (VLS-PV) systems in the world deserts.” Proceedings of 3rd WCPEC 3O:A2-01.
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10. Marcel Suri., Tomas Cebecauer., Artur Skoczek and Juraj Betak. 2012. “Solar electricity
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6 production from fixed-inclined and sun-tracking c-si photovoltaic modules in South Africa.” 1st
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8 Southern African Solar Energy Conference (SASEC ):1-8.
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11. Anyaka.B.O., Ahiabuike.D.C., and Mbunwe. M. J. 2013. “Improvement of PV Systems Power
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18 12. Tony kerzmann., laura Schaefer. 2013. “Flow Rate Optimization Of A Linear Concentrating
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20 photovoltaic System.” Journal of solar energy engineering 135:10-14.
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22 13. Tripanagnostopoulos.Y., Souliotis.M., Tselepis.S., Dimitriou.V., and Makris.Th. 2005. “Design
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25 and Performance Aspects for low concentration photovoltaics.” 20th European Photovoltaic
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34 15. Benecke. M.A., van Dyk. E. E., Vorster.F.J., 2013. “The design and analysis of a vertical
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39 16 Miqdam Tariq. C., Khalil. I. A., Hussein. A. K., Feras Hasoon., Hakim Sultan Aljibori. S., Ali
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41 Alwaeli. A.K., Firas Raheem. S., and Ali Alwaeli. H. A., 2012. “Effect of Design Variation on
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48 17 Eljai. M.C., Chalqi. F.Z. 2013. “A modified model for parabolic trough solar receiver.” American
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53 18. Rizk. J., Chaiko.Y. 2008. “Solar Tracking System- More Efficient Use of Solar Panels.” World
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19 Guihua. Li., Runsheng Tang., and Hao Zhang. 2012. “Optical Performance Of Horizontal Single
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8 materials 16:1744-1752.
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20. Lorenzo. E., Perez. M.,.Ezpeleta.A., and Acedo. J. 2002. “Design of Tracking Photovoltaic
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13 Systems with a Single Vertical Axis.” Progress in photovoltaic: research and applications
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18 21. Mehleri. E., Zervas. P., Sarimveis. H., Palyvos. J., and Markatos. N. 2010. “Determination of the
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20 optimal tilt angle and orientation for solar photovoltaic arrays.” Renewable Energy 2; 24-69.
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22 22. Al Mohamad.A. 2004. “Efficiency improvements of photo-voltaic panels using a Sun-tracking
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25 system.” Applied Energy 79:345–54.
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27 23. Batayneh. W., Owais. A. and Nairoukh. M. 2013. “An intelligent fuzzy based tracking controller
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32 24. Alata. M., Al-Nimr .M. A. and Qaroush.Y. 2005. “Developing a multipurpose sun tracking
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34 system using fuzzy control.” Energy Conversion & Management 46:1229-1245.
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37 25. Al-Naima.F.M., Yaghobian,N.A. 1990. “Design and construction of a solar tracking system.”
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39 Solar Wind Technol 7: 611-617.
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41 26. Liqun Liu., Han Xiaoqing., Chunxia Liu and Jing Wang. 2013. “The influence factors analysis
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46 and Control: 1-7.

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48 27. Arbab.H., Jazi. B., and Rezagholizadeh.M. 2009. “A computer tracking system of solar dish with
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28. Jifeng Song., Yongping Yang., Yong Zhu., and Zhou Jin. 2013. “A high precision tracking
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6 system based on a hybrid strategy designed for concentrated sunlight transmission via fibers.”
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8 Renewable energy 57:12-19.
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29. Jay Robert.B., del Rosario., Reggie. C.G., and Elmer Dadios.P. 2014. “Optimization of A Small
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13 Scale Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System Using Nanowatt Technology.” Journal of Automation
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15 and Control Engineering 2:134-137.
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18 30. Reis. F., Brito. M.C., Corregidor. V., Wemans .J., and Sorasio.G. 2010. “Modeling the
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20 performance of low concentration photovoltaic systems.” Solar energy materials and solar cells
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25 31. Mohammed.S., Al-Soud., Essam Abdallah., Ali Akayleh., Salah Abdallah., and Salah Abdallah.
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32 32. Ahmed Rhif.A., 2013. “Position Control Review for a Photovoltaic System-Dual axis sun
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34 tracker.” IETE Technical Review 28:478-485.
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37 33. Okpeki.U.K., Otuagoma.S.O. 2013.“Design and Construction of a Bi–Directional Solar Tracking
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39 system.” International Journal of Engineering and science 2:32-38.
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41 34. George Bakos.c. 2013. “Design and construction of a two-axis Sun tracking system for parabolic
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44 trough collector (PTC) efficiency improvement.” Solar energy materials and solar cells 3:2-7.
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46 35. Julie A. Rodiek., Steve R. Best., and Casey Still. 2010. “Auburn University’s Solar Photovoltaic
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48 Array Tilt Angle and Tracking Performance Experiment.” American Institute of Aeronautics and
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51 Astronautics : 1-5
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36. Sobuj Kumar Ray., Abul Bashar.Md., Maruf Ahmad. and Fahad Bin. 2012. “Two Ways of
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6 rotating Freedom Solar Tracker by Using ADC of Microcontroller.” Global Journal of
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8 Researches in engineering 12:29-34.
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37. Yousif El.Tous., Omar Badran. O., and Anwar Al Mofleh. 2012. “Thermal evaluation of a sun
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13 tracking solar cooker.” International journal of energy and environment:3:83-90.
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15 38. Mostefa Ghassoul. 2013. “Design of an Automatic Solar Tracking System to Maximize Energy
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18 Extraction.” International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering 3:453-
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20 460.
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22 39. Jing Min Wang., Chia Liang Lu. 2013. “Design and Implementation of a Sun Tracker with a
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25 Dual-Axis Single Motor for an optical Sensor-Based Photovoltaic System.” sensors 13:3175-
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40 Bhupendra Gupta,, Neha Sonkar., Brahman Singh Bhalavi., and Pankaj Edla.J. 2013. “Design,
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32 Construction and Effectiveness Analysis of Hybrid Automatic Solar Tracking System for
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34 Amorphous and Crystalline Solar Cells.”: American journal of engineering research 2:221-228.
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37 41. Edwards. B.P.1978. “Computer based sun following system.” Solar Energy 21:491–496.
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39 42. Semma.R.P., Imamura M.S. 1980. “Sun tracking controller for multi kW photovoltaic
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41 concentrator system.” In Proceedings of the 3rd International Photovoltaic Sol Energy Conf,
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44 Cannes, France: 27-31.
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46 43. Jeya Ganesh.N., Maniprakash.S., Chandrasekaran.L., Srinivasan.S.M., and Srinivasa.A.R.

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48 (2011). “Design and Development of a Sun Tracking mechanism using the Direct SMA
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51 actuation.” Journal of mechanical design 133: 1-14.
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53 42. McFee R.H. 1975. Power collection reduction by mirror surface non flatness and tracking error
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for a central receiver solar power system 14: 1493-502.
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44. Alistair Sproul.B. 2007. “Derivation of the solar geometric relationships using vector analysis.”
4
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6 Renewable Energy 32: 1187-1205.
7
8 45. Rockwell Automation 2009. “Solar Tracking Application.” A Rockwell Automation White Paper:
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1-8.
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13 46. http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bsapplec/solar1.htm.
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15 47. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_zenith_angle.
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18 48. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_azimuth_angle.
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20 49. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_tracker.
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Fig 4.Solar tracking technologies
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Table.1.Comparision table for different tracking systems
4
5
6 Number Technical
Type of solar system performance capabilities Possible manufactures
of axis restrictions
7
Horizontal ARRAY Technlogies
8 Less
single axis inc,U.S.A.
9 complicated,
tracker Occupy lot
10 less
(HSAT) SAHAJ SOLAR, India of space
expensive,
11 68% because
rigid and
12 compared to 1 WUXI HAOSOLAR there are
stable. less
13 fixed panel Technology co.,Ltd, tobe
likely to be
14 China. arranged
damaged
horizontally
Fo
15 during
DEGE Renergie
16 storms
GmbH, Germany
17 ARRAY Technlogies
18 62% inc,U.S.A
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Easily
19 Vertical compared to
Less affected by
20 single axis fixed panel WUXI HAOSOLAR
complicated, wind force.
21 tracker when loss due 1 Technology co.,Ltd,
less so support
22 (VSAT) to wind force China.
expensive, should be
taken into
ee
23 taken care
account DEGE Renergie
24 GmbH, Germany
25 Single ARRAY Technlogies The
26 axis inc,U.S.A inclination
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More suitable
27 solar Tilted should be
for smaller
28 single axis 69% WUXI HAOSOLAR calculated
tracking Latitudes i.e
29 tracker compared to 1 Technology co.,Ltd, very
system places which
30 (TSAT) fixed panel China. accurately to
are close to
avoid
ev
31 equator
DEGE Renergie shading and
32 GmbH, Germany wind loss
33 ARRAY Technlogies
34 inc,U.S.A Still
ie
35 Polar More suitable

experiments
aligned for larger
36 single axis
Still
latitudes i.e
WUXI HAOSOLAR are going on
37 experiments 1 Technology co.,Ltd, this. Pros
w
trackers places which

38 are going on. China. and cons has
(PASAT) are far from
39 to be
equator
DEGE Renergie studied.
40 GmbH, Germany
On
41 Able to track
42 ARRAY Technologies
the sun in
43 78% inc, U.S.A.
both
compared to
44 directions Should be
Tip–tilt fixed panel ALL EARTH
45 (east-west as attached on
ly
dual axis without RENEWABLES,U.S.A.

46 well as north- a long pole
tracker considering 2
47 south). so wind
(TTDAT the extra TITAN TRACKERS,
& forces will
48 Dual axis manufacturing Europe
Able to be very high
49 solar cost of dual
minimize the
50 tracking axis DEGE Renergie
up-sun
51 system GmbH, Germany
shading.
52 82% More suitable ARRAY Technlogies It’s pivoting
Azimuth-
53 compared to for greater inc,U.S.A. mechanism
altitude
54 fixed panel latitude rests on the
dual axis
55 without where 2 OPEL SOLAR, Canada ground so
tracker
considering substantial occupies a
56 (AADAT)
the extra seasonal DEGE Renergie large space
57 manufacturing variation in GmbH, Germany and these are
58
59
60
1
2
3 cost of dual sun’s height not suitable
4 axis and arc. for northern
5 & climates
6 The weight with snow
7 of the array is build up.
8 distributed
over a
9
portion of the
10 ring
11 cost of the
12 materials
13 acting as
With the help
14 of passive
actuators ll
Fo
15 be very high
materials like
16 and
Passive 40% SMA (shape
17 ZOOMWORKS,U.S.A availability
tracking compared to memory --
of some
18 system fixed panel alloy),the
materials ll
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19 additional
be difficult.
20 parts can be
Also
eliminated.
21 sluggish in
22 moving cold
temperature
ee
23
24
25
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28
Type of solar tracker Cost per watt power Projected pay-back
29
30
$2-2.4/ watt depending on the panel size 1.5 to 3.5 ye ars for crystalline
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31
and region. silicon PV systems.
32
33 Fixed solar panel
1 to 1.5 years for thin film
34 technologies
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35
36 $1.17/watt premium with respect to 3.0 years of payback on
37
w
Single axis solar tracking system efficiency tracker investment

38
39 3.5 to 5 years of payback cost
40 on tracker investment
On
41 Dual axis solar tracking system $0.36 /watt premium with respect to
42 efficiency
43
44 $1.2-2 /watt depending on the tracker Approximately 5 years of
45
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Passive tracking system size and features payback cost

46
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4 Solar Tracking System-A review
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6 Suneetha Racharla1*, K Rajan2
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Department of mechanical engineering, Research scholar in St.Peter’s university.
8 2
Department of mechanical engineering, Dr.M.G.R University, Chennai
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10 1* 2
suneetha 220@gmail.com, krajanmech@gmail.com
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13 Abstract
14 The generation of power from the reduction of fossil fuels is the biggest challenge
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16 for the next half century. The idea of converting solar energy into electrical energy using
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photovoltaic panels holds its place in the front row compared to other renewable sources. But the
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21 continuous change in the relative angle of the sun with reference to the earth reduces the watts
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23 delivered by solar panel. In this context solar tracking system is the best alternative to increase
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26 the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel. Solar trackers move the payload towards the sun
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28 throughout the day. In this paper different types of tracking systems are reviewed and their pros
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and cons are discussed in detail. The results presented in this review confirm that the azimuth
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33 and altitude dual axis tracking system is more efficient compared to other tracking systems.
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35 However in cost and flexibility point of view single axis tracking system is more feasible than
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dual axis tracking system.
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40 KEYWORDS: Solar energy, Photovoltaic panel, solar tracker, Azimuth, passive
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42 actuator,latitude.
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45 1. Introduction
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47 Nowadays the energy deficiency problems faced by the world, more especially the third
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49 world countries, are urging researchers to find an alternative energy source that would
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52 complement the conventional fossil fuel. The alternative energy sources include solar, nuclear
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54 and wind. Solar energy is the energy generated by harnessing the power of the solar radiation. It
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is the cleanest source of energy which can pollute the climate the least. The power from the sun
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intercepted by the earth is approximately 1.8*1011MW, which is many thousands of times larger
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6 than the present consumption rate on the earth from all other in-use commercial energy sources.
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8 The main problem with the solar energy is its dilute nature. Even in the hottest regions on the
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earth, the solar radiation flux available rarely exceeds 1 KW/M, which is insufficient for
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13 technological utilization. This problem can be rectified by a device solar tracker which ensures
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15 maximum intensity of sun rays hitting the surface of the panel from sun-rise to sunset.
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18 1.1. Solar geometry and solar angles
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20 The Earth’s orbit about the Sun is almost circular at an average distance of 149.6 million km.
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22 The Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted by an angle Ɛ=23.441o with respect to the normal to the
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plane of the Earth’s orbit (Fig. 1) [1]. The plane of the Earth’s orbit is named as the plane of the
25 ecliptic. The plane passing through the Earth’s equator is inclined perpendicularly to the plane of
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27 the ecliptic, at an angle Ɛ (angle of obliquity). Based on conservation of angular momentum, the
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29 Earth’s axis of rotation points as a fixed direction in space which means for the same location on
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Earth, at a fixed time (for midday as determined by solar time), the altitude of the Sun (the
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angular height above the horizon) will vary throughout the year.
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34 Fig. 1.Schematic diagram of earth orbit around sun
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38 In order to derive the solar angles, need to define suitable reference frames. Three principal
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reference frames will be used, the ecliptic, the equatorial and the horizon reference frames [2].
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41 These reference frames are centered or referenced to the centre of the Earth and the apparent
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43 motion of the Sun is considered for calculations. The Sun and other celestial bodies are assumed
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45 to lay on the celestial sphere (Fig.2) a sphere with a large radius. The daily rotation of the earth is
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47 described by the rotation of the celestial sphere about the polar axis, and the instantaneous
48 position of the sun is given by the hour angle ω, the angle between the meridian passing through
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50 the sun and the meridian of the site. The celestial sphere is imagined to rotate about the fixed
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52 Earth to depict the daily, apparent motion of the Sun and other celestial bodies (Fig.2) [44].
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56 1.2. The nomenclature
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1. Declination angle (δ)
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6 It is the angular distance of the sun’s position in north or south of the earth’s equator (Fig.3). The
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8 earth’s axis is tilted 23.34° from the plane of the earth’s orbit around the sun and the earth is in
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its annual path around the sun causes the declination angle to vary from 23.45° north on
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13 december 21st (Winter Solstice) to 23.45° south on June 21st (Summer Solstice) [45-47].
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18 2. The altitude angle or elevation angle (α)
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20 It shows how high the sun appears in the sky. The angle is measured between an imaginary line
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22 between the observer and the sun and the horizontal plane the observer is standing on. The
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25 altitude angle is negative when the sun drops below the horizon (Fig.3) [45-47].
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27 3. Solar azimuth angle (ϒs)

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It is the angular distance between South and the projection of the line of sight to the sun on the
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32 ground. A positive solar azimuth angle indicates a position East of South, and a negative azimuth
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34 angle indicates West of South (Fig.3) [45-47].
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37 The latitude (w)
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39 It is a point or location is the angle made by the radial line joining the location to the center of
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41 the earth with the projection of the line on the equatorial plane. The earth’s axis of rotation
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44 intersects the earth’s surface at 90o latitude (North Pole) and -90o latitude (South Pole). Any
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46 location on the surface of the earth then can be defined by the intersection of a longitude angle
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48 and a latitude angle.
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53 2. Components of solar tracking system
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The main mechanism of the solar tracking system consists of the tracking device, the
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6 tracking algorithm, the control unit, the positioning system, the driving mechanism, and the
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8 sensing devices. The tracking algorithm determines the angles which are used to determine the
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position of solar tracker. There are two types of algorithms-astronomical algorithms and real
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13 time light intensity algorithms. The astronomical algorithm is a purely mathematical algorithm
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15 based on astronomical references. The real-time light intensity algorithm is based on real-time
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18 light intensity readings. The control unit performs the tracking algorithm and manages the
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20 positioning system and the driving mechanism. The positioning system operates the tracking
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22 device to face the sun at the calculated angles. The positioning system can be electrical or
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25 hydraulic. The driving mechanism is responsible for moving the tracking device to the position
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27 determined by the positioning system. The sensing devices are group of sensors and
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measurements that measure the ambient conditions, the light intensity in case of real-time light
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32 intensity algorithms, and the tilt angle of the tracker (by means of an inclinometer or a
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34 combination of limit switches and motor encoder counts) [45].
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37 3. Solar tracking system Vs fixed panel
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39 The amount of output mainly depends on the cosine angle of incidence which is known as the
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41 angle between the sun ray and horizontal surface. The minimum incidence angle gives the
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44 maximum power output. In case of fixed panel except noon time the angle is maximum for the
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46 movement of sun. The efficient solar tracker is which can correct this problem. The first solar
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48 tracker introduced by Finster in 1962, was completely mechanical. One year later, Saavedra
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51 presented a mechanism with an automatic electronic control, which was used to orient an Eppley
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53 pyrheliometer [3]. Anusha et al.[4] compared the fixed PV panel and single axis solar tracking
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based on real time clock(RTC) using ARM processor. The experiment is conducted using both
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fixed and tracking system for 6 days. The results show that the solar tracking system increased
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6 the efficiency around 40% and energy received from the sun is improved from 9.00AM to 6.00
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8 PM. Dhanabal et al.[5] compared the efficiencies of static panels and tracking systems of single
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axis and dual axis fixed mount. The readings are taken from morning 8 AM to evening 6 PM for
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13 fixed panel, single axis tracker and dual axis tracker for every one hour. The results says the
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15 efficiency of the single axis tracking system over that of the static panel is calculated to be
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18 32.17% and dual axis tracking system over that of the static panel is calculated to be 81.68%.
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20 Tiberiu tudorache et al [6] compared the solar tracking PV panel with a fixed PV panel in terms
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22 of electric energy output and efficiency. The proposed device automatically searches the
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25 optimum PV panel position with respect to the sun by means of a DC motor controlled by an
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27 intelligent drive unit that receives input signals from dedicated light intensity sensors. The solar
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tracking PV panel produced more energy than fixed one with about 57.55%. Bione et al. [7]
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32 compared the pumping systems driven by fixed, tracking and tracking with concentration PVs.
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34 The results showed that for a given irradiance, the pumped water flow rate was significantly
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37 different from one another. The fixed PV, the PV with tracker and the concentrating-tracking
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39 systems pumped 4.9, 7.4 and 12.6m3/day, respectively. Snehal et al. [8] proposed a Field
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41 Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) sensor Based Standalone Solar Tracking System. Sun
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44 tracking system composed of fuzzy logic controller implemented on FPGA sensors, PV panel,
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46 stepper motor, and input-output interface. Xilinx_ISE software is used for coding of FLC for Sun
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48 tracking. The results show that tracking has maximum efficiency than fixed panels.
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51 4. Different types of solar tracking techniques
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53 Fig 4.Solar tracking technologies
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4.1 Based on collectors
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6 4.1.1. Flat plate photovoltaic panel (PV)
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8 In flat-panel photovoltaic applications, trackers are used to minimize the angle of
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incidence between the incoming sunlight and a photovoltaic panel. Masakazu Ito et al. [9]
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13 proposed a comparative study of fixed and tracking system of very large-scale PV (VLS-PV)
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15 systems in the world deserts. The work focused on the potential and simulation of the
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18 100MW.Life cycle analysis is applied for the simulation. The potentials are evaluated from
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20 economic viewpoint by LCA method. The results shows that cost reduced by applying tracking
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22 system. Marcel Sur et al. [10] produced solar electricity from fixed-inclined and sun-tracking
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25 crystalline silicon (C-SI) photovoltaic modules in South Africa. The work presents a method to
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27 for estimating the energy output from fixed-mounted and sun-axis tracking flat-plate PV
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systems. The simulation uses the solar radiation and temperature time series representing a
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32 historical record of 18 years (1994 to 2011).The Results shows one axis tracker with vertical axis
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34 inclined 30 degrees north typically gains from 15% up to 35% more electricity, compared to
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37 fixed mounting at optimum tilt.Anyaka et al. [11] studied the Improvement of PV Systems
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39 Power Output Using Sun-Tracking Techniques. The work presented the detailed view of sun
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41 tracking systems developed over the past years. The results prove that the applicability of sun
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44 tracking system gives a diverse range of high performance solar-based applications.
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46 4.1.2 Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV)

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48 The optics in CPV modules accept the direct component of the incoming light to
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51 maximize the energy collected. The tracking functionality in CPV modules is used to orient the
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53 optics such that the incoming light is focused to a photovoltaic collector. Tony Kerzmann et al.
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[12] studied the flow rate optimization of a linear concentrating photovoltaic system. The work
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focused on a two dimensional linear concentrated photovoltaic (LCPV) combined with an active
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6 cooling and waste heat recovery system. The results shows that an optimal cooling fluid flow at a
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8 rate of 4 gal/min (2.52×10−4m3/s) would produce and average of 45.9 kWh of electricity and
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15.9 kWh of heat energy. Tripanagnostopoulos et al. [13] proposed the design and performance
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13 aspects for low concentration photovoltaic. The non-uniform distribution of solar radiation on
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15 the PV surface reduces the electrical efficiency and can be rectified by combining the PV with
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18 low concentration devices. The diffuse reflectors are used instead of specular reflectors because
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20 of their low cost. The PV temperature reduction is also a factor so several modes for heat
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22 extraction are applied; using water or air cooled hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar
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25 systems. Benecke et al. [14] developed the Optical design of low concentrator photovoltaic
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27 modules. This work addresses the necessary procedures that need to be considered when
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designing an optical sub-system of low concentrator photovoltaic (LCPV) module. Various
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32 design considerations are taken into account to construct a LCPV module that is characterized
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34 with respect to optical design and electrical performance. Benecke et al. [15] implemented the
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37 design and analysis of a vertical receiver LCPV system. The work presents the design aspects of
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39 the optical and electrical subsystem of LCPV with a geometric concentration ratio of 4.6.An
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41 electrical estimation is conducted by the use of I-V (current-voltage) characteristics obtained

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44 under sun as well as under concentration.
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48 Concentrating solar power or concentrated solar thermal systems use mirrors or lenses to
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51 concentrate a large area of sunlight or solar thermal energy onto a small area. Electrical power is
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53 produced when the concentrated light is converted into heat, which drives a heat engine (usually
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a steam turbine) connected to an electrical power generator or powers a thermo chemical
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reaction. Miqdam Tariq et al. [16] studied the effect of design variation on saved energy of
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6 Concentrating Solar Power prototype. The work discussed about the methods to improve the
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8 efficiency of the concentrated solar thermal plant. El jai et al. [17] implemented a modified
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model for parabolic trough solar receiver using concentrated solar thermal energy. The work
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13 concentrates on the original mathematical model that describes the heat exchange between the
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15 main components of a thermal solar collector in an integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) plant.
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18 The solar plant is an integrated combined cycle thermo-solar power plant consists of 256
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20 parabolic trough solar collectors and classified in 64 parallel loops and each loop is 618 meters
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22 long. The use of the solar tracking mechanism is to maintain the incident solar radiation
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25 perpendicular to the reflector and to the focal line of the parabola where a receiver tube contains
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27 the heat transfer fluid. The different simulation results show that both the fluid temperature and
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the metal tube temperature grow until reaching a certain equilibrium value.
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32 4.2 Based on the axis
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34 4.2.1. Single axis tracker
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37 Single axis trackers have one degree of freedom that acts as an axis of rotation. The axis
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39 of rotation of single axis trackers is typically aligned along a true North meridian. Rizk et al. [18]
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41 developed solar tracking system with more efficient use of solar panels. This work includes the
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44 potential system benefits of simple tracking solar system of single axis tracker using a stepper
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46 motor and light sensor. This method is increasing power collection efficiency by implementing a
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48 device that tracks the sun to keep the panel at a right angle to sun rays. The power gain is
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51 increased 30% over a fixed horizontal array.
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53 4.2.1.1. Horizontal Single Axis Tracker (HSAT)
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The axis of rotation for horizontal single axis tracker is horizontal with respect to the
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6 ground. Backtracking is one of computing the disposition of panels [48]. Guihua et al. [19]
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8 calculated the optical performance of horizontal single axis tracked solar panels. From the results
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it is clear that the east-west placed HSAT is worst to boost the energy while the north-south
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13 placed HSAT increased the efficiency drastically around 36%.
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18 4.2.1.2. Vertical Single Axis Tracker (VSAT)
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20 The axis of rotation for vertical single axis trackers is vertical with respect to the ground. These
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22 trackers rotate from east to west over the course of the day. Lorenzo et al. [20] designed the
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25 tracking of photovoltaic systems with a single vertical axis. The vertical single axis tracking also
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27 called as azimuth tracking is mainly used for the energy gain which can be 40% more compared
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to tilted static panels. This research work deals with the design of VSAT photovoltaic plant in
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32 Tudela. The problems of shadowing in E-W direction and also N-S direction and the methods to
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34 rectify are explained in detail. The results clearly specify that VSAT boosted the energy gain
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37 around 40% per annum.
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39 4.2.1.3. Tilted Single Axis Tracker (TSAT)
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41 The tracker with axes of rotation between horizontal and vertical is named as tilted single
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44 axis tracker. Tracker tilt angles are often limited to reduce the wind profile and decrease the
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46 elevated end height. As a module tracks, it sweeps a cylinder that is rotationally symmetric
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48 around the axis of rotation [45].
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51 4.2.1.4. Polar Aligned Single Axis Tracker (PSAT)
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This method is scientifically well known as the standard method of mounting a telescope
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6 support structure. The tilted single axis is aligned to the polar star. It is therefore called a polar
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8 aligned single axis tracker [46].
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13 4.2.2 Dual Axis Tracking
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18 another. The axis that is fixed with respect to the ground is a primary axis. The axis that is
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20 referenced to the primary axis is secondary axis [48].
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25 4.2.2.1. Tip-Tilt Dual Axis Tracker (TTDAT)
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27 A tip–tilt dual axis tracker is so-named because the panel array is mounted on the top of a
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pole. Normally the east-west movement is driven by rotating the array around the top of the pole.
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32 The vertical azimuth axis is fixed so as to allow great flexibility of the payload connection to the
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34 ground mounted equipment because there is no twisting of the cabling around the pole. Tip-tilt
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37 trackers can make to minimize up-sun shading and therefore maximize the total power being
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39 collected [21-25].
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41 4.2.2.2 Azimuth-Altitude Dual Axis Tracker (AADAT)

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44 An azimuth–altitude dual axis tracker has its primary axis (the azimuth axis) vertical to
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46 the ground and the secondary axis (elevation axis) is normal to the primary axis. The operation is
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48 similar to tip-tilt systems but differ in the way the array is rotated for daily tracking. Instead of
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51 rotating the array around the top of the pole, they use a large ring mounted on the ground with
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53 the array mounted on a series of rollers. The main advantage of this arrangement is the weight of
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the array is distributed over a portion of the ring [47]. Liqun Liu et al. [26] discussed about the
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influence factors analysis of the best orientation relative to the sun for dual-axis sun tracking. In
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6 this research work different types of tracking systems are reviewed such as fixed panel, single
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8 axis tracking in east-west, single axis tracking in north-south, and dual axis tracking using both
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tip-tilt and altitude-azimuth tracking. The results show the influencing factors are time error,
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13 latitude, and azimuth and tilt angle of the photovoltaic, reflectivity and composite transparent
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15 coefficient. Arbab et al. [27] implemented a computer tracking system of solar dish with two-
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18 axis degree freedoms based on picture processing of bar shadow. The design is based on
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20 computer image processing of a bar shadow to obtain the optimized picture of solar dish
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22 displacements. The system is independent to geographical location of the solar dish and
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25 periodical changes like daily or monthly regulations. Jifeng Song et al. [28] implemented a high
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27 precision dual axis tracking system based on a hybrid strategy designed for concentrated sunlight
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transmission via fibers. This system is based on a two-stage tracking process, which consists of a
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32 coarse adjustment based on the coordinate calculation algorithm and a fine adjustment using a
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34 specially designed photosensitive sensor. In this design optical fibers are used for the precision
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37 tracking of concentrated sunlight. The advantage of this design is the higher resolution of the sun
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39 sensor because of the use of photosensitive arrays in closer arrangement. From the results it is
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41 clear that system tracked the sun’s focal spot with a position precision of less than 0.3 mm and
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44 the tracking angle precision is 0.1o. Jay Robert et al. [29] proposed the optimization of a small
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46 scale dual-axis solar tracking system using nano watt technology. The solar module is placed
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48 first in any one direction and the PV array has to search and stop at the highest current gained by
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51 the solar cell. The process is continued for every 30 minutes from 0600H up to 1800H. The
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53 results are measured in these positions for current, voltage and power. An open loop control is
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used for controlling the motors. Reis et al. [30] proposed the Modeling the performance of low
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concentration photovoltaic systems. A theoretical model is implemented to study the response of
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6 voltage-through systems in terms of temperature, power output and energy yield using as inputs.
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8 The device is constructed by integrating dual axis system and conventional crystalline Si-
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module, named as double sun technology. The results conclude that the double sun technology is
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13 increased the efficiency around 86% compared to fixed panels. Mohammed et al. [31] designed a
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15 parabolic solar cooker with automatic two axes sun tracking system. The solar cooker with
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18 automatic two axes eliminates the standing in the sun for hours to get frequent tracking and
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20 facing the concentrated solar cooker. The results of the continuous test performed for three days
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22 from 8:30 hr to 16:30 hr in the year 2008 and showed that the water temperature inside the
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25 cooker’s tube reached 90oC in typical summer days for the maximum registered ambient
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27 temperature was 36 C. Ahmed Rhif et al. [32] implemented a position control review for a
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photovoltaic system dual axis sun tracker. This work presents a sun tracker without using sun
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32 sensors. The sun tracking is performed by changing the solar panel orientation in horizontal and
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34 vertical directions by two motors. The control of these motors is ensured by a microcontroller.
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37 Sliding mode control is used to solve the nonlinear equations. The simulation results conclude
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39 that tracking improves the efficiency around 40% than fixed panel. Okpeki et al. [33] designed
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41 and constructed a bi-directional solar tracking system. This research work includes the design
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44 and fabrication of a bi-directional tracker which can rotate in both azimuth and altitude
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46 directions. The two influencing factors of power output are intensity and wave length of sun
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48 light are addressed in detail. The results conclude that the efficiency is drastically more
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51 compared to fixed panel and the total cost of the tracker is very low. George Bakos et al. [34]
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53 implemented a two-axis Sun tracking system for parabolic trough collector (PTC) efficiency
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improvement. Parabolic trough is used with two axis rotation to the sun. The results conclude
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that parabolic collector is increasing the energy than flat collector. Rodiek et al. [35] conducted
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6 solar photovoltaic array tilt angle and tracking performance experiment. Advanced software
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8 models were developed to calculate the change of path by the sun throughout the year and to
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predict the optimum angle for the single axis tracker to obtain maximum energy output for the
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13 entire year. Two modeling programs are discussed to predict the optimal angle. For the
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15 experiment five panels are used in a single axis to track azimuthally at the tilt angles of 20º, 25º,
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18 32º (latitude), 40º, and 50º. One more panel is a fixed control panel facing south at latitude tilt.
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20 The results are taken for one year and they conclude that a higher tilted panel (50º) will produce
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22 more power throughout the year compared to modeling from PV Watts that suggests a 32º tilt.
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25 4.3. Based on driver
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27 4.3.1. Active tracker

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4.3.1.1. Microcontroller and electro-optical sensor based solar tracker:
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32 Sobuj Kumar Ray et al. [36] presented two ways of rotating freedom solar tracker by
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34 using microcontroller. The work includes the design of a two ways rotating freedom solar tracker
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37 based on microcontroller.PIC16F72 microcontroller is used to activate the motors to get two
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39 ways rotation.LDC sensors are used to get the information about sun radiation. The results are
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41 compared with conventional solar tracker without microcontroller and also with fixed panels.
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44 The difference is almost 37% between fixed panel and tracking system with microcontroller.
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46 Yousif El-Tous et al. [37] studied the thermal evaluation of a sun tracking solar cooker using
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48 microcontroller. The work contains the implementation of tracking system developed for getting
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51 the solar heating using solar cooker. A microcontroller is used for rotating the solar heater with
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53 the movement of the sun. PLC system is used as control system. A comparison between fixed
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and sun tracked cooker showed that the use of sun tracking increased the heating temperature by
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36%. Mostefa Ghassoul et al. [38] proposed design of an automatic solar tracking system to
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6 maximize energy extraction. This solar tracking system is controlled by a micro chip PIC
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8 18F452 micro controller. The search mechanism (PILOT) locates the position of the sun and the
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intelligent panel mechanism rotates itself with the PILOT to extract the maximum energy. The
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13 main defect in this is the rotation only takes place, if the energy obtained in the new position is
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15 higher than that consumed by the panels during the transition. So one miniature motor is used s
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18 to search the best position for maximum energy extraction. The panel’s mechanism rotates to the
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20 position automatically when energy extraction is optimal. The system is designed in such a way
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22 that panels only follow the sun if that contributes to extra energy extraction and at the same time,
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25 the energy consumed by the panel driving motor is less than that extracted. Jing-Min Wang et al.
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27 [39] proposed the design and implementation of a sun tracker with a dual-axis single motor for
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an optical sensor-based photovoltaic system. This work proposes a novel design of a dual-axis
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32 solar tracking PV system which utilizes the feedback control theory along with a four-quadrant
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34 light dependent resistor (LDR) sensor and simple electronic circuits to provide robust system
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37 performance. The proposed system uses a unique dual-axis AC motor and a stand-alone PV
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39 inverter to accomplish solar tracking. Experiment results indicated that the developed system
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41 increased the energy gain up to 28.31% for a partly cloudy day.

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44 4.3.1.2. Auxiliary bifacial solar cell based solar tracker
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46 Bhupendra Gupta et al. [40] explained the design, construction and effectiveness of a
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48 hybrid automatic solar tracking system for amorphous and crystalline solar cells. This work
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51 includes the design a Hybrid solar tracking system implemented by integrating with amorphous
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53 and crystalline solar panel, and microcontroller. The experiment consists of the analysis on the
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use of two different material of solar panel like Amorphous and Crystalline in a solar tracking
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system at stationary, single axis, and dual axis and hybrid axis solar tracker. The comparison
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6 shows that the use of the dual-axis tracking system produced 17.87% gain of power output than a
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8 single-axis tracking system. The gain of output power with the hybrid tracking system is further
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more (52%) than a stationary system inclined at 23.5o to the horizontal.
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13 4.3.1.3 Date, time and sensor based
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15 In the date/time and sensor based tracking systems, electronic devices like
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18 microprocessor calculates the sun’s position from basic formulae or algorithms from
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20 geographical information and send signals to the electro motor (Fig.5).
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Edwards et al. [41] presented the operation of a computer based sun following system for
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26 parabolic collectors. The computer continuously varies the speed of each collector actuators at
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28 regular intervals throughout the day. The results conclude that for accurate sun following, the
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system requires a data output from the central controller of only 500 bit/s for 10,000 collectors
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33 per day.
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35 4.3.2. Passive tracker

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38 The passive trackers use a boiling point from a compressed fluid which moves from one
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40 side to other by the solar heat which creates a gas pressure results the tracker movement [42].
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Due to the bad quality of precision orientation, it is unsuitable for certain types of photovoltaic
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45 collectors. In the passive tracker the photovoltaic panels include a hologram behind stripes of
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47 photovoltaic cells so that sunlight reflects [37] on the hologram which allows the cell heat from
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50 behind, thereby increasing the modules’ efficiency. Moreover, the plant need not require moving
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52 while the hologram still reflects sunlight from the needed angle toward the photovoltaic cells.
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54 Jeyaganesh et al.[43] proposed the design and development of a sun tracking mechanism using
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57 the Direct SMA actuation. The Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) element acts as sensor and actuator
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position the solar receptor tilted appropriately to face the sun directly at all times during the day.
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6 The thermal stimulus required to activate the SMA element is provided by the concentration and
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8 direct focusing of the incident sun rays on to the SMA element. The results show the possibility
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of the design and development of a sun tracking mechanism using SMA that directly uses
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13 sunlight without the need for any additional external power source.
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15 Table.1.Comparision table for different tracking systems
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20 5. Conclusion
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22 The innovative designs in sun tracking systems have enabled the development of many
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25 solar thermal and photovoltaic systems for a diverse variety of applications in recent years
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27 compared to the traditional fixed panels. Solar systems which track the changes in the sun’s
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trajectory over the course of the day collect a far greater amount of solar energy, and therefore
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32 generate a significantly higher output power. This paper has presented a review of the major
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34 types of sun tracking systems developed over the past 20 years. It has been shown that these sun
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37 tracking systems can be broadly classified as single axis and dual axis, depending on their mode
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39 of rotation. Further it can be classified as active and passive tracker depending on the actuator.
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41 The sub division and their basic principles of each method have been reviewed. Overall, the
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44 results presented in this review confirm that the azimuth and altitude dual axis tracking system is
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46 more efficient compared to other tracking systems. However in cost and flexibility point of view
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48 single axis tracking system is more feasible than dual axis. In future the present paper details will
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51 be useful in selecting an accurate and particular tracker with respect to region, available space
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53 and estimated cost. The present work may be useful to improve the design characteristics of
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different types of solar tracking systems to improve performance.
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60
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6. References:
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6 1. Mitton S, 1977.The Cambridge encyclopedia of astronomy. London: 1st ed.
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8 2. Alistair,B.sproul. 2007. “Derivation of solar geometric relationships using vector analysis.”
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Renewable energy 32: 1187-1205
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13 3. Roth,p.georgiev., Boudinov.A., and Cheap.H. 2005. “Two axis sun following device.” Energy
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15 conservation and management 46:1179-92.
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18 4. Anusha.K., Chandra.S., and Mohan Reddy. 2013. “Design and development of real time clock
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34 6. Tiberiu tudorache., Constantin daniel oancea., and Lliviu kreindler. 2012. “Performance
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44 8. Snehal Hon.P., Kolte.M.T. 2013. “FPGA Based Standalone Solar Tracking System.”
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48 9. Masakazu Ito., Kazuhiko Kato., Keiichi Komoto., Tetsuo Kichimi., Hiroyuki Sugihara., and
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51 Kosuke Kurokawa. 2003. “Comparative study of fixed and tracking system of very large-scale
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53 PV (VLS-PV) systems in the world deserts.” Proceedings of 3rd WCPEC 3O:A2-01.
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11. Anyaka.B.O., Ahiabuike.D.C., and Mbunwe. M. J. 2013. “Improvement of PV Systems Power
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18 12. Tony kerzmann., laura Schaefer. 2013. “Flow Rate Optimization Of A Linear Concentrating
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22 13. Tripanagnostopoulos.Y., Souliotis.M., Tselepis.S., Dimitriou.V., and Makris.Th. 2005. “Design
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14. Benecke. M.A., van Dyk. E. E., Vorster.F.J., 2013. “Optical design of low concentrator
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34 15. Benecke. M.A., van Dyk. E. E., Vorster.F.J., 2013. “The design and analysis of a vertical
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41 Alwaeli. A.K., Firas Raheem. S., and Ali Alwaeli. H. A., 2012. “Effect of Design Variation on
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53 18. Rizk. J., Chaiko.Y. 2008. “Solar Tracking System- More Efficient Use of Solar Panels.” World
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19 Guihua. Li., Runsheng Tang., and Hao Zhang. 2012. “Optical Performance Of Horizontal Single
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8 materials 16:1744-1752.
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20. Lorenzo. E., Perez. M.,.Ezpeleta.A., and Acedo. J. 2002. “Design of Tracking Photovoltaic
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13 Systems with a Single Vertical Axis.” Progress in photovoltaic: research and applications
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32 24. Alata. M., Al-Nimr .M. A. and Qaroush.Y. 2005. “Developing a multipurpose sun tracking
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37 25. Al-Naima.F.M., Yaghobian,N.A. 1990. “Design and construction of a solar tracking system.”
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48 27. Arbab.H., Jazi. B., and Rezagholizadeh.M. 2009. “A computer tracking system of solar dish with
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51 two- axis degree freedoms based on picture processing of bar shadow.” Renewable Energy 34:
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53 1114–1118.
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28. Jifeng Song., Yongping Yang., Yong Zhu., and Zhou Jin. 2013. “A high precision tracking
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6 system based on a hybrid strategy designed for concentrated sunlight transmission via fibers.”
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8 Renewable energy 57:12-19.
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29. Jay Robert.B., del Rosario., Reggie. C.G., and Elmer Dadios.P. 2014. “Optimization of A Small
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13 Scale Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System Using Nanowatt Technology.” Journal of Automation
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15 and Control Engineering 2:134-137.
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18 30. Reis. F., Brito. M.C., Corregidor. V., Wemans .J., and Sorasio.G. 2010. “Modeling the
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20 performance of low concentration photovoltaic systems.” Solar energy materials and solar cells
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25 31. Mohammed.S., Al-Soud., Essam Abdallah., Ali Akayleh., Salah Abdallah., and Salah Abdallah.
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4 Response to the reviewer comments:
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6 We are very thankful to reviewers for their valuable suggestions. It surely helped us
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11 (1 Please substitute the "Wikipedia" references (page 23), for other references that are more adequate
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SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEM- A REVIEW

Article in International Journal of Sustainable Engineering · January 2016

Biofuels View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Engineering

Manuscript Type: Review Paper

Date Submitted by the Author: 12-Oct-2015

Complete List of Authors: krishna, sunitha; st.peters university, mechanical

Keywords: Green engineering, Renewable energy, Renewable energy technologies

solar energy, photovoltaic, solar tracking system, Azimuth, Passive

35 [Source: Sproul et al. (2007)]

27 3. Solar azimuth angle (ϒs)

46 4.1.2 Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV)

41 electrical estimation is conducted by the use of I-V (current-voltage) characteristics obtained

46 4.1.3Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

41 4.2.2.2 Azimuth-Altitude Dual Axis Tracker (AADAT)

27 4.3.1. Active tracker

41 increased the energy gain up to 28.31% for a partly cloudy day.

35 4.3.2. Passive tracker

46 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications l3:1-5.

27 Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Barcelona, Spain.

46 and Control: 1-7.

46 43. Jeya Ganesh.N., Maniprakash.S., Chandrasekaran.L., Srinivasan.S.M., and Srinivasa.A.R.

35 Polar More suitable

trackers places which

dual axis without RENEWABLES,U.S.A.

Single axis solar tracking system efficiency tracker investment

Passive tracking system size and features payback cost

17 Supplier Elsevier Limited

29 License date Oct 17, 2014

44 Requestor type author of new work

29 appeared in our publication with credit or acknowledgement to another source, permission

44 permission is hereby given.

29 The author(s) must be appropriately credited.

Commercial exploitation ( e.g. a product for sale or loan)

35 [Source: Sproul et al. (2007)]

27 3. Solar azimuth angle (ϒs)

46 4.1.2 Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV)

41 electrical estimation is conducted by the use of I-V (current-voltage) characteristics obtained

46 4.1.3Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

41 4.2.2.2 Azimuth-Altitude Dual Axis Tracker (AADAT)

27 4.3.1. Active tracker

41 increased the energy gain up to 28.31% for a partly cloudy day.

35 4.3.2. Passive tracker

46 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications l3:1-5.

27 Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Barcelona, Spain.

46 and Control: 1-7.

46 43. Jeya Ganesh.N., Maniprakash.S., Chandrasekaran.L., Srinivasan.S.M., and Srinivasa.A.R.

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