International Renewable Energy Congress

November 5-7, 2010 Sousse, Tunisia

Design of a Photovoltaic Panel Orientation System

CHNIBA Sad, BEN ATTIA Yassine, BOUAJILA Youssef and FRIGUI Ali
RCCP-Research Unit
National Engineering School of Gabes, Medenine Road, 6029 Zerig-Gabes Tunisia
E-mail: alifrigui@yahoo.fr, yassine.benattia@gmail.com

Abstract- This work highlights the design and

the realization of an automatic solar-panel
orientation system in order to achieve highperformances.
The solar panel sensor constitutes the main part
of the system, since it ensures the pursuit of the
sunbeam.
The management of the system, depending on
the movements, the presence of sun, and the
regular checkup of the system evolution, is
ensured by an electronic unit executed around a
microcontroller.
Keywords- solar energy, photovoltaic panel,
sensor, microcontroller
1- Introduction
Nowadays, a great interest to the renewable energy
exploitation (geothermic, wind, solar) is noticed
in many countries of the world. This interest is a
result of economical and ecological problems
generated by the massive use of fossil energies (oil,
coal, gas). Moreover, the reserve of these
energies does not cease decreasing and the prices
do not cease fluctuating enormously according to
the economic situation. An attempt to better exploit
these energies then, becomes a shared objective of
several communities of the world.
Solar energy is very promising [1]; it may play an
important role in the replacement of fossil energies.
When it is known that the earth receives
approximately 10000 times from the sun the total
quantity of the power consumed by the entire
humanity, then, we understand why an increasing
importance is given to solar energy these last years.
The aim of this work is to design and realize an
automatic sun-position following system. The main
objective is to increase the output of a photovoltaic
panel by maintaining its position suitably towards
the sun.

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Compared to the work presented in the literature [2,

3, 4 and 5], this system is indicated to follow the
position of the sun in an intelligent way. It takes
into account the various disturbances which can
influence the good work of the system (clouds,
night). The system also makes possible catering
the load with the maximum of energy provided by
the panel, thus it makes the real consumption of the
whole system directly be taken out from the panel
as long as there is sun. In the absence of this latter,
the system makes it possible to take its needs of
energy out from a refillable battery.
This work is achieved within the framework of an
end of studies project at the national school of
engineering of Gabs (laboratory RCCPI). In this
article, the project will be described starting first of
all, with the study of the whole problem, in order to
implement the basic contributions of the work.
Then, the recommended solution and the
functionality of the system components will be
presented. Lastly, we finish with the practical
realization and the exhibition of the trials carried
out on the system within the laboratory.
2- Problematic
Once it is exposed to sun, a photovoltaic panel
produces an electric power. The produced energy is
related to several factors (altitude, temperature,
angle of incidence) that influence its output.
The purpose of our work consists in improving the
solar panel effectiveness by acting on the angle of
incidence which has a huge importance on the
output of the photovoltaic module.
As it is shown in figure 1, the angle of incidence is
the sunbeam projection angle on the plane of the
solar panel.

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Figure 1. Angle of incidence

It can be defined according to the following
equation [6]:
With: R is the output of the panel in %; the angle
of incidence. Figure 2 shows the output variation
function of .

Figure 3. Various positions of the sun[5]

3- Solution
The suggested solution consists in the design of a
system allowing the solar panel to follow the
position of the sun in order to maintain an angle of
incidence = /2.
To guarantee a fast and prompt movement of the
panel, a mechanical system device containing two
articulations in pivot connection is recommended.
This system makes possible to point the normal
panel surface exactly towards each point of the
space swept by the sun. The movement is then,
ensured by two actuators allowing the panel to turn
around its horizontal and vertical axes.
To follow the sun position, we need two sensors;
One to detect the presence of the sun and another to
detect the angle of incidence .

Figure 2. A Graphic showing the variation of the

output according to the angle of incidence[7]
Thus, it is clear that the output is indeed influenced
by the orientation of the solar panel and it is at its
peak when the sun rays arrive upright to the panel:

The control unit receives the information sent by

the sensors and emits the suitable control signals
towards the actuators via a power unit. In the case
of sun absence, the control unit sets the system in
alert. A graphic interface is made to allow the user
supervising and following the evolution of the
system. The diagram in figure 4 presents the
various interactions between the basic equipments
of the system.

In fact, the position of the sun varies perpetually,

not only during daylight but also during the year as
indicates figure 3. Then the sun does not follow the
same trajectory each day, the fact that put us face
ward a complicated problem of sun-position
following. In addition, disorders can appear from
time to time such as the night, the clouds and the
intervention of the user facts that increase the
complexity of the problem.

Figure 4. Block diagram of the system

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4- Functionality and mechanism of the

system
To understand the principle of operation of our
system, we present in this part a description of the
diagram of figure 4.
4.1 Sensors
Sun presence Sensor:
This sensor is performed basically by photoresistance. It is placed at the highest point of the
system device not to be bothered by any other
component and not to undergo any shade either.
The signal received by the sensor passes through a
conditioning circuit and resent to the control unit.
This latter may start the process once the level of
tension received (0 or +5V) corresponds to the level
affected with the presence or absence of the sun.

The control unit receives data sent by the sensors in

the form of a binary word coded on 10 bits. This
binary word describes the sun presence sensors
status, sun position sensors and butted of race end
status. The treatment of the data by the control unit
lets the latter send the suitable control signals
towards the operative part.
4.3 Operating unit
This unit is composed of two engines with direct
current of low power. An engine M1 allows the
adjustment of the vertical slant angle of the panel.
An engine M2 ensures the rotation of the axis to
adjust the horizontal angle. Each engine is
accompanied by a reducer aiming to decrease the
speed of revolution and to multiply the torque.
Figure 6 gives an outline on the assembly of the
system.

Sun position sensor:

This sensor is also performed by photo-resistance.
It gives a plain idea about the sun position
according to the surface of the panel. This sensor
sends a signal of (0 or +5V) throughout the
conditioning circuit towards the control unit which
launches the correct order of movement that would
be realized by the operative part.
4.2 Control unit
The control unit is the intelligent part of the system.
It consists of a mother card containing a
microcontroller 16F877A programmed out of C
language. The system can communicate with the
computer through the serial standard RS232. Figure
5 describes in short the cycle of the system control:

Figure 6. Assembly of the system

5- Realization and check

Begin

Sun
presence

After the design and the realization of the system,

practical tests have been carried out in order to
assess its performance.
Two operative modes are available in the system:

Sun position
detection

Control of
sensors

Motors control

Figure 6. Cycle of control

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Manual mode
Automatic mode

To select the operating mode we have just to press

one of the two buttons placed in a tight metal box.
5.1 Manual mode
This mode ensures the manual orientation of the
panel in the four directions (Right/Left and
Up/Down). It allows controlling the panel manually

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and in a permanent way what is neither practical

nor advised and is not the purpose of our work once
more. Where as, this mode determines the starting
point of the operation cycle. Then the switch to the
automatic mode corrects the manual adjustment and
starts the automatic cycle. The system, default start
mode is always manual.
Even if the user starts in automatic mode without
taking the sun position in consideration, the system
waits 16 minutes and launches the research process.
If the sun is unavailable (the night for example), the
system awaits its appearance to start the process.
The system is then autonomous, which makes the
mode manual usable either in the case of system
starting or in other particular cases.
5.2 Automatic mode
To over go the bothersome conditions (clouds,
night, user intervention) some precautions should
be taken:
When clouds pass in a slower or faster speed, the
sun sensor remains sensitive to the sooner return of
the solar rays. The system is shut down once
sunbeams are absent and restarts automatically to
their return.
In a prolonged absence of the solar rays (more than
three hours), the system adopts an awaiting position
by positioning the panel to a slope of 45
(Operation of the M1 engine).
The engine M2 reacts carrying out a circular
sweeping setting the sensor on when it comes
across the solar rays. An adjustment of the position
is then led. In the research process, the engine M2
turns on until it stops when contacting the race end
butted. After a short temporization, an opposite
wise rotation is started and M2 stops when the
sensor receives sunrays. To shorten the searching
time for the sun, in order to reduce power loss, the
system records the most frequent way of movement
and adopts it as favorite.

sensor makes up the essential element of the system

since it is the only one that ensures sun-position
detection.
The management of the whole tasks of the system
such as the movements, the incidences of sun
presence, the management of energy and the
follow-up of the system evolution, is ensured by an
electronic circuit carried out around a
microcontroller. The designed system tests are in a
perfect conformity with the objectives laid down
for this work. However, other improvements to
increase the system effectiveness are possible such
as the addition of an inverter, the integration of a
dependability system or even the improvement of
the driving mechanical system.
7- References
[1] : L. Diabat, P. Blanc, and L. Wald, Solar
radiation climate in Africa Solar Energy, 2004.
76(6): p. 733-744.
[2] J. A. Beltran, J. L. S. Gonzalez Rubio, C.D.
Garcia-Beltran: Design, Manufacturing and
Performance Test of a Solar Tracker Made by an
Embedded Control, CERMA 2007, Mexico.
[3] O. Stalter, B. Burger, S. Bacha, D. Roye:
Integrated Solar Tracker Positioning Unit in
Distributed Grid-Feeding Inverters for CPV Power
Plants, ICIT 2009, Australia.
[4] M. A. Panait, T. Tudorache: A Simple Neural
Network Solar Tracker for Optimizing Conversion
Efficiency in Off-Grid Solar Generators, ICREPQ
2008, Spain.
[5] P. A. Basore: Manufacturing a New
Polycrystalline Silicon PV Technology, Conference
Record of the 2006 IEEE 4 th World Conference on
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, pp. 2089-2093,
2006.
[6] A. M. Morega, J. C. Ordonez, P. A. Negoias, R.
Hovsapian: Spherica Photovoltaic Cells A
Constructal Approach to Their Optimization
OPTIM 2006, Romania.
[7] A. M. Morega, A. Bejan: A Constructal
Approach to the Optimal Design of Photovoltaic
Cells, Int. Journal of Green Energy, pp. 233-242,
2005.

6- Conclusion
The work presented in this paper concerns the
design and the realization of a solar panel
orientation system in the purpose of having the best
performance. This requires that the plane of the
panel be continuously perpendicular to the solar
rays. Following the movement of the sun is the only
solution to ensure this circumstance. The solar ray

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