Light Sensor Based Automatic Solar Tracking System Using Parabolic Reflector And Lens Focussing Action For Maximum Power Point Tracking

A hybrid system is described that combines the features of two solar technologies – photo-voltaic conversion to electricity (PV) and thermal conversion to heat and finally to electric energy for battery usage. Under the condition of the same output power of photovoltaic system, using low cost superiority of the high concentrator material in place of the expensive solar cell to reduce the comprehensive cost of the photovoltaic system and realize the high effective and the efficient unification of the focussing photovoltaic system. In this paper, problems of solar energy tracking by solar cells is analysed and an alternate method is analysed of focussing the light rays through a concentrator for tracking maximum power. The technical approach uses a convex lens mounted on a cyclic parabolloid to reflect and concentrate sun’s radiations at the focus and this acts as the point of maximum power tracking. A thermo electric generator (TEF) is also used to convert the heat generated at the focus into usable electric energy. Keywords—photovoltaic solar tracking, sensor based automatic tracking, photovoltaic/thermal hybrid system, lens focussing action, parabolloid dish reflector, thermal collector.