first week research ideas ????

3^rd year project Pv. Solar panel tracker.

Author Aiden Sweeney

B00045183

6^th Nov 2012

Week one:

 In week one on presentation of the assignment some research was conducted into the origins of the photo voltaic effect, This was first observed by Aleixandre Edmond Becquerel (1820 – 1891) a French physicist in 1839 ( http://www.solareworld.com/blog/green-community/solar-history-alexandre-edmond-becquerel).

Much research has been conducted since to the development of modern photo voltaic solar panels.

Leaving the state of play in efficiencies of conversion around 15%for domestic panels to about 40% for use in satellites where this is obviously more expensive using multilayer panels.

As the world thirsts for power it makes sense to maximise the capacity of solar cells and this sort of tracking can be an efficient method of maximising output.

Large solar arrays like the one at Nellis Air force base in the USA implement such tracking devices and on its implementation in 2007 it was expected to save the USAF a million dollars a year

http://www.nellis.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123079933

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Pv panels are most efficient when they are positioned at 90 degrees to the sun, so a quick reflection at this point one motor to rotate the panel is ideal if it is placed on the equator however for temperate climates the maximum arc of the suns rotation in midsummer is far greater than 180 degrees so controlling accurately that and a horizontal of a maximum of 90 degrees the use of a micro-controller for two motors should be needed.