Rationale and aims

 With the world increase, demand in electrical energy and exhaustion and pollution which are linked to the fossil fuels has fostered the research and development to harvest the maximum green energy which is very friendly to our environment (Dobson, 2015). Therefore to attain this maximum collection of the green electrical energy, Rotating Solar Panels by Using Arduino is the most preferred technique to realize this. In this paper, a prototype of the rotating solar panels will be used together with Arduino UNO. The feedback control scheme which permits doing the solar tracking through two axes with a help of linear actuators and a stepper motor. These were established via the electronic circuit diagram. The knowledge of the photodiodes will also be employed to help trace the solar for maximum collection of solar.  

The main aim of this project is to make a solar panel to be orthogonal to the rays from the sun throughout the year for maximum collection of the sun illumination hence maximum solar power collected throughout the year. This will be made possible through a controller known as Arduino Uno and the stepper motors which will act as the actuators and make the solar photovoltaic panel to rotate with respect to the rays of the sun.  A sensor which will be employed is a photodiode sensor.  Solar energy is mostly employed in housing because it is very simple to install, it is relatively safe as compared to the on grind electric power.

For a maximum solar output power the module of the photovoltaic needs to be automated through sensors (photodiode), controller (Arduino) and actuators (stepper motors). Through automation of the solar photovoltaic panel will be able to trace the rays of the sunlight by its own without being moved to the sunlight by a human being (that is what is referred to as rotating solar panel). Through this automation, the performance of the solar panel has really increased.  This automation of the solar panel is realized through both a closed loop feedback control system and open loop system (Mruzek, 2015).  The most effectively tracking control system is that for the closed-loop control system. This is because the closed-loop control system different active sensors which are accountable for receiving solar radiation signal like LDR (Light Dependent Resistance) and CCD (charge-coupled device ) and again the closed loop control gives a feedback to the controller (Arduino UNO) which will permits  the continuous orientation of the panel with respect to the rays of the sunlight.

This innovation will also be of a great importance to the industry since it will ensure a constant supply of electrical energy as well as it will help the industry to save the money they would have used in the toxic materials treatment before they are disposed to the environment. This project will also be easy to be implemented and used sustainable in the society since the parts which are used in the construction are not that expensive, for instance, Arduino UNO, stepper motor, LDR, photodiode are relatively cheap and are highly affordable (Monk, 2017). The maximum collection of sun rays will hence improve the efficiency of the solar, where the efficiency can be obtained from the following equations;

Literature Review

And from equation1 we can obtain equation 2 for the efficiency of the solar panel.

Where FF is the fill factor, ? is the solar panel efficiency VOC is the open circuit voltage and ISC is the short-circuit current.

There is some journal which explains this project, these illustrate the design of the rerating solar panel as well as the codes used in coding Arduino Uno which makes the solar to rotate effectively as anticipated.  A rotating solar is a device which is employed for orientation of the arrays of the solar panel. The sun´s position in the sky keeps on changing due to change in seasons and time of the day when the sun revolves.  Through the utilization of sun based arrays, an arrangement of sun based cells electrically associated, there’s era of a DC voltage that can be utilized on a stack. There’s an expanded utilize of sun based clusters as their inefficiencies ended up higher. They are especially popular in inaccessible zones where there’s no association to the network. Photovoltaic vitality is that which is gotten from the sun (Kidder, 2014). A photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a sun-oriented cell, is the innovation utilized for the transformation of solar directly into electrical control. The photovoltaic cell may be a non-mechanical made of silicon amalgam.

A solar panel tracker is a gadget utilized for situating a photovoltaic array solar board or for concentrating sun oriented reflector or focal point toward the sun. The position of the sun within the sky is changed both with seasons and time of day as the sun moves over the sky. Sun oriented fuelled hardware work best when they are pointed at the sun (Robert, 2015). Hence, a sun-oriented tracker increments how productive such hardware are over any settled position at the fetched of extra complexity to the framework. There are distinctive sorts of trackers. Extraction of usable power from the sun got to be conceivable with the revelation of the photoelectric mechanism and subsequent improvement of the sun based cell (Prinsloo, 2014). The sun based cell may be a semiconductor fabric which changes over unmistakable light into coordinate current (Gerro, 2012).

The earth is a planet of the sun and spins around it. Other than that, it too rotates around its axis once every 24 hours. This movement is capable for the event of day and night. The sun oriented day may be a time period of 24 hours and the duration of a sidereal is 23 hours and 56 minutes. There are hence two movements of the earth, revolution and rotation (Krul, 2014). The soil turns on its axis from west to east. The axis of the earth is a fanciful line which passes through the southern and northern poles of the earth (Snow, 2014).   The difference of 4 minutes since the earth’s position keeps changing with reference to the sun. This can be illustrated using the following diagram;

The motion of the earth around the sun is referred to as revolution. It moreover happens from west to east and takes a period of 365 days. The circle of the earth is elliptical. Since this distance between the earth and the sun keeps changing. The clear yearly track of the sun via the fixed stars within the firmament sphere is referred to as the ecliptic. The earth’s axis makes an angle of 66.5 degrees to the ecliptic plane. Since of this, the soil achieves four basic positions with reference to the sun and these four results to the four seasons.

The sun conveys vitality by implies of electromagnetic radiation. There’s a sun-powered combination that results from the seriously temperature and weight at the centre of the sun. Protons get changed over into helium molecules at 600 million tons per moment. Since the output of the method has lower energy than the protons which started, the combination gives rise to parts of vitality in the frame of gamma beams that are absorbed by particles within the sun and re-emitted (Maloney, 2014).   The sun´s total power can be approximated from the law of Stefan and Boltzmann as given by the equation below;

Earth’s Rotation and Revolution

 P=4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Where r is the earth´s radius = 695800, T is the absolute temperature which is about 5800K  is the Boltzmann = 1.3806488×10^-23m²S^-2K^-1,  is the emissivity of the surface while P is the total power of the sun.

 For a better design of this project, a DC motor and its driver needed to be analysed mathematically (Staff, 2016).  It is very vital to understand the behaviour of the sun orbit in the moths of June (summer) and December (winter). And this can be illustrated by the diagram below;

This rotzting solar panel will operate on a closed loop control system since it has an Arduino controller and its closed loop is illustrated using the diagram below;

The design of this rotating solar photovoltaic panel is based on the components which make up the whole prototype. These components include the following;

• Stepper motor
• Arduino UNO
• Solar Panel
• LDR

The stepper motor is DC motors which always operate in discrete steps. Stepper motor always contains several coils which are energized in groups known as phases. Through energizing every phase in sequence, the motor will move one step at a time (Boxall, 2013). With a program controlling the stepping, it is possible to realize an accurate position and speed control of the motor. This motor can be illustrated using the following diagram

And since this motor rotates through the control of Arduino and it in a discrete manner, the below are some digital steps in which this motor will rotate.

Motion	Steps	X	x?	Y	?	Hex Values	Angle
Clockwise	1	0	1	0	1	5H	00
2	1	0	0	1	9H	900
3	1	0	1	0	AH	1800
4	0	1	1	0	06H	2700

This motor divides full rotation to a device of a display. If the input information is an electrical signal the display will hence be electronic display giving a specific number of step.  The position of the motor is then commanded hold and move at one of the steps without having any sensor for position to give the feedback so long there is an accurate sizing of the motor to its application with respect to the speed and torque.

Arduino Uno is the microcontroller which is employed here for the control of the stepper motor. It is the Arduino where the codes controlling the stepper motor is written. Arduino will control the tilting of the solar panel by controlling the movement of the stepper motor. When the stepper motor moves the solar panel will move as well since the stepper motor is coupled to the solar panel.   Arduino is an open –source platform which is employed in the development of an electronic project. It has both physical printed circuit board. A piece of Integrated Development Environment which operates the tilting of the solar. A prototype of the Arduino UNO module is illustrated using the following diagram.

The solar photovoltaic panel is a device which is employed in the conversion of light energy to electrical energy through the use of solar photovoltaic cells. Currently, the green energy has not been fully exploited and with full use of renewable source of electricity, there will be reduced environmental pollution and it will also result in cheap source electrical power.  The diagram below shows a solar panel.

Basically, this package is a connected assembly of 6× 10 photovoltaic cells. The cells have photovoltaic arrays of the system of photovoltaic which always generates electrical power for both residential and commercial applications.  From the equation of power below it is possible to conclude that the solar panel generates electrical power.

P=VI  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Where P is the generated electrical power, V is the voltage generated due to the photovoltaic effect of the solar and I is the current generated from the solar module when the first moving electrons are dislodged from the solar cell to move in the outer circuit.  This can be illustrated using the following diagram;

The amount of energy harvested from the solar panel is given by the following equation,

E=A×r×H×PR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Where A is the total surface area of the solar panel exposed to the sun, E is the total energy generated by the solar panel in kWh, r is the solar panel efficiency, PR is the performance ratio and H is the annual mean solar radiation ( but shading is not included).  

 This is a type of sensor which employs the use of light to respond. They are very sensitive and always measures the light intensity. In a dark region, their resistance will highly increase and this can even go up to about 1M ?. But when the sensor is in the light region, the resistance will hence reduce even to few ohms and this depends on the intensity of the light.  This can be illustrated using the following graph

When there is no light the LDR will have higher resistance, but when light falls on the sensor the resistance will reduce hence the sensor will send the signal to the Arduino which will hence control the movement of the stepper motor and make the solar photovoltaic panel (Geddes, 2014).

 The research question here basically highlights the functionality of the project and if the project can actually be done and implemented at the same time.  Basically, some of the research questions for this project may include the following;

• Relevancy: Is the project relevant?
• Manageable:  Is the project manageable?
• Clarity and simplicity:  Is the project clear and simple?

The project research is very relevant since there is a high need for green electrical power which is very clean in our environment. Therefore for the maximum harvest of such energy, it is hence required to have a technique in which this green energy can be collected in the maximum amount.  And because this form is a renewable source of energy and the sun is always free 24/7 for 365 days in a year, therefore, the design will be relatively cheaper as compared to other forms of electrical energy.  Therefore from the proof given, the research project is very relevant to for both the households and the industries which make good use of electrical energy.  The solar energy having this technology will ensure maximum collection hence a lot of solar energy will be converted to electrical energy.  

From the components employed in the construction of this project, it is a relatively cheap project to implement in real life. This project makes use of Arduino as the main controller in the whole project, and the stepper motors as the actuators for the movement as the solar photovoltaic panel tilt, LDR as the sensor for the detection of the presence of light and the solar panel for the collection of the maximum sunlight. Therefore from the above main parts of the project, it can be seen that the project highly affordable and can be managed almost in every part of the world which receives a more than average sunlight hours. Thus when the project is done it can be easily be implemented and managed because of the cheap components involved in the operation, and the sunlight is also free.

The project is built on the frame which has the stepper motor which makes the solar panel to tilt as required by the codes given in Arduino software, and the Light Dependent Resistor is also employed in the detection of the sunlight which hence communicates with the controller and then the controller will make the stepper motor to tilt as required. Therefore the construction and operations of this solar photovoltaic panel are very clear and very simple for everyone to comprehend the whole project.

This refers to the overall strategy that was used during the research in order to integrate several components of the research in an organized and logical manner. A proper design will ensure that the study properly handles the research problem. It addresses how the measurement, data collection and data analysis were carried out. This was a research problem on how to design a solar panel that is orthogonal to the rays from the sun throughout the year to allow for maximum collection of the sun illumination hence maximum solar power collected throughout the year. This is an important innovation that should be carried out with great keenness and high level of expertise.

The design of this research project involves project goals, deliverables, tasks to be undertaken in the project, the cost of undertaking the whole project and the anticipated deadline for the entire project. The documentation of a project’s scope, which is called a scope verbalization, terms of reference or clarification of work, clarifies the boundaries of the open up, sets up commitments for each assemble parcel and sets up procedures for how completed work will be asserted and declared. Within the middle of the expansion, this documentation makes a differential in the extend bunch stay centred and on an errand. The scope clarification moreover gives assemble with rules for making choices roughly alter demands within the middle of the expansion.  The object is done to help harvest green, clean and cheap maximum electrical energy through the use of solar panels. It also helps to conserve the environment from the pollution since the project will generate a clean power which does not pollute the environment as compared to some non-renewable sources of electrical energy like coal and nuclear. The aim of this project is to make a solar panel to be orthogonal to the rays from the sun throughout the year for maximum collection of the sun illumination hence maximum solar power collected throughout the year. This will be made possible through a controller known as Arduino Uno and the stepper motors which will act as the actuators and make the solar photovoltaic panel to rotate with respect to the rays of the sun.

Being a highly detailed innovation, it is important to perform detailed research on the topic. This requires gathering information from several secondary sources that are related to this study. The design of the rerating solar panel which require developing codes that will help in designing the Arduino Uno. The Arduino Uno is what facilitates the rotation of the solar more efficiently. The research was therefore aimed at developing the coding that will enable the Arduino Uno operate perfectly. This required collecting the information from secondary related sources that include journals, books, magazines and articles. The internet also played a major role in gathering information on how to perfectly design the solar. During the course of research, there was also need to seek clarification from individuals who have got a wealthy experience in this field. They played a major role of making corrections on areas not well done and also suggesting recommendations on the areas that could be improved. They also helped in analyzing the information that had been gathered from secondary sources in order to make them useful. In this way, the research design facilitated a proper way of conducting the study and thus achieving the required results.

Any research work needs to follow up an appropriate timeline that will ensure all the relevant and appropriate steps are properly handled. In the development of the research work, there several tasks that requires the attention of the researcher and hence must be properly incorporated to ensure the project is conducted in the right manner and that the objectives of the projects are achieved. Capability development is a guide to good practice that contains a series of instructions and steps that should be followed in order to achieve effective ways of performing the research. An appropriate research will help guide the researcher whether they are still within the set time frame.

An appropriate method of planning for a project is by using the Gantt charts. They give the schedule of work intended to be completed in a specific day. The start date of the project and the expected end dates are also included in the view.

The Gantt chart for this project is as detailed below;

And from the above Gantt chart, it is approximated that at the end of the stipulated time the whole tasks will have been completed.

Before conducting any research, it is always proper to be conscious of the ethical dilemmas that may result in the course of research work. This research required us to be aware of the fundamental principles that have to be taken into considerations when carrying out the research in accordance to the set framework for research ethics. The ethics will ensure that the research attains a valuable quality and quality and that all the participants faced in the course of study are treated in the right way that will guarantee valuable feedback.

1. Informed consent

For this research, it was proper to make the participants aware that they are being involved in a research study as well as what is required of them for the purpose of the research. The relevant information that the participants had to be aware of included; reasons for carrying out the research, the methods being applied, the probable research outcomes and the risks, demands, inconveniences and discomforts that may be subjected to.

1. Respect for confidentiality  and anonymity

The research ethics required to ascertain that the research will protect the anonymity and confidentiality of all the individuals who participated in the research. This principle requires participants only to be willing to volunteer the information they have being that some information may be s4ensitive and private. During stages of the research that requires publication of the collected information including the sources and that requires revealing the identity of the participants, I sought to be granted permission from the participants before publishing or revealing the information.

1. Beneficence

This principle requires the researcher to basically ‘do good’ in the course of the research study. Given that any research is usually meant to make adjustments to the already existing systems, it is therefore meant to improve the welfare of the intended groups or end users. The participants during the research make up some of the intended end users hence they have to be taken care of. This research also aimed at ’doing good’ to the prospective participants and end users.

1. Non- maleficence

This principle is mainly focused at ‘doing no harm’ to the participants during the course of study. It addresses any possible exploitation either physically, financially or health wise to the intended participants. This principle will therefore ensure that all participants are protected from any possible exploitation from the researchers. The participants also have to be protected from any possible illegal, incompetent and unethical practices that they may be subjected to by the researchers.

1. Impartiality and equality

It is also regarded as the principle of justice. The researcher should subject all the participants to equal treatment in the course of conducting the research. This is applicable to individual participants as well as to the whole society. There should not be any level of bias towards any particular group since such a practice may result to incorrect results and feedback from the participants.

1. Quality and integrity

The research should be built on the idea of achieving great quality results and feedbacks from the relevant fields that will be visited in the course of study. The researchers needs to explain how they are ensuring that they achieve quality and integrity of the research. The research should not just be carried out for the sake, it has to strive at meeting the quality that can be comparable to other similar research works.

1. Voluntary participation

Any participant should be allowed to make a personal decision on whether to participate in a given research or not to. They should also never be enticed or forced to share their opinions in any research work. They should only participate out of own choice or decision.

1. Right to withdraw

The participants should be allowed to withdraw at any point during the course of the research. In any case a participant makes a decision to withdraw from the research process, they should never be coerced or pressured ibn a bid to reverse their decisions.

In order to appropriately proceed with the research, it is necessary to seek permission and approval from different institutions or bodies that will ease the process of acquiring information from the participants or other secondary sources. The most common arrangement should be put in place include;

• Getting ethics approval.
• Determine the research governance requirements that apply to the intended research.

The forms and approval that were required for this study include;

• National Research Ethics Service (NRES)
• Local Ethical Committee Approval (LEC)

During the development of the Rotating solar panel using Arduino as the controller, there are some achievements which this project have.  These achievements together with the plan for the whole development of the work is done. The consideration of the problem is also addressed in this chapter.  The whole program while was undertaken for the seventh day of the week can be summarized as in the table below;

Days of the week	Achievement	Consideration of the problem
First day	The circuit diagram of the system of the rotating solar using Arduino was developed	What was considered here is the workability of the whole system since if there is a problem with the circuit diagram of the system the whole design will definitely be wrong. Therefore a perfect circuit diagram was developed.
Second day	Programming the Arduino module. During the design of it was really an achievement to program the Arduino. During the programming of this module, all the operation parameters are stated here, like the stepper motor control and the LDR communication with the actuator. The errors which were found in the software were debugged perfectly	There are lots of considerations which was done here, the angle at which the solar panel should tilt should be keenly given. The amount of solar radiation which should make the actuator to start moving to help in the tilting of the solar panel was also stated in the Arduino software.
Third Day	Development of the Printed Circuit Board from PCB layout obtained from the circuit diagram. It was really a great achievement to develop a good PCB which acted as the main controller of the whole system. Perforation of the PCB where the components will be placed was perfectly done and a proper soldering was done.	During the development of the PCB, there were some considerations which were done. These include avoiding the short-circuiting during the soldering.  If there is any short circuitry in the system then it will not work as anticipated.
Fourth Day	The system parts were tested differently to affirm if they were not faulty. This was also an achievement during the development of the project.	During the testing of the functionality of the components of the system, keenness is very important to ensure that the action does not make the good components to be faulty.
Fifth day	Different parts of the system were correctly fixed to make the whole prototype as anticipated	At this stage, some components may be put in a wrong position which will hence make the system not to operate. The Arduino module and the LDR sensors may also be destroyed in the process.
Sixth Day	The input voltage and the output voltages were measured for the components which were used in making the components.	The developer of the project must know the expected results for each measurement to avoid rendering the correct reading as a wrong one.
Seventh Day	The entire system was then tested on the sun and it worked perfectly as anticipated. With the help of Arduino, the solar photovoltaic panel tilted which the changing of the sun´s orientation and this was actually the greatest achievement of the project. Finally, the project operated as anticipated.	During the final testing, there must be a consideration of the supply of the voltage and current to the whole system. This is very important since it helps to avoid burning of the components and also it ensures that the correct amount of power is supplied to the system.

References

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