Development and Control of a Sun Tracking System based on Stepper Motor and 16f877a Microcontroller

Abstract

Solar power is a promising technology as an alternative for the fossil-fuel energy sources. Thus, many researches are done in order to maximally exploit solar energy. In this context, the paper presents the development process of a sun-tracking system based on a stepper motor and an 16f877a-microcontroller. The use of stepper motors enables accurate tracking of the sun. The system has been experimentally tested at different times and under various irradiance conditions. The experimental results show that the output current has considerably increased within the acceptable range of irradiance and the system efficiency has increased by 23 %.