News Hackaday Prize 2022: Compact Solar Tracking System Doesn’t Break The Bank

Hackaday Prize 2022: Compact Solar Tracking System Doesn’t Break The Bank

If you might want to squeeze each accessible watt out of a photo voltaic panel, you’ll most likely wish to look right into a photo voltaic monitoring system. Sadly, they’re normally fairly giant, heavy, and costly. In its place, [JP Gleyzes] has put collectively a DIY photo voltaic monitoring system that goals to deal with these points.

Beginning with a 100 W versatile photo voltaic panel bought throughout a Black Friday sale, [JP] first created a easy body utilizing 20 mm PVC tubing and some 3D printed brackets. It mounts on a wood base with a printed worm gear rotation mechanism, powered by a stepper motor. The tilt is a dealt with by a lead screw comprised of a threaded rod, linked between the wood base and the highest of the photo voltaic panel, and can be pushed by a stepper motor.

For much more effectivity, [JP] additionally created an MPPT cost controller with companion app utilizing an ESP32, modified 20 A buck converter, and present sensor module. The ESP32 additionally controls the stepper motors. The optimum angle for the photo voltaic panel decided utilizing the date, time, and the system’s GPS place. [JP] had additionally created a easy Android app to calibrate the panels’ begin place.

This challenge is a finalist within the Planet-Pleasant Energy problem of the 2022 Hackaday Prize, and all the main points to construct your individual can be found in your challenge web page. Trying on the dimension of the system, we suspect future iterations may very well be even smaller.


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