Development of a Cost-Effective Solar Tracking System for Enhanced Efficiency

Automatic Solar Tracker project pursuits to increase solar power efficiency via affordable, one-axis tracking mechanism, which provides efficient solar panel adjustment. By the use of ESP8266 microcontroller, an SG90 servo motor, two Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensor modules, and a 5W solar panel, the system aligns the panel accordingly with the solar position for high energy reception. The method of operation involves LDRs identifying differences in light intensity, which the ESP8266 calculates to determine the intensity differential. This automatically adjusts the servo motor’s angle via a control algorithm, keeping the panel horizontal to incidence of sunlight. Simple in design and scalable, the system gains an estimated 15–25% more energy compared to static panels, as proved in outdoor tests done under different light intensities. Major innovations are the low-cost integration of components and real-time tracking with an accuracy of ±5°. The project complements current solar devices’ limitations by providing a reproducible prototype for small-scale renewable energy systems. The future development involves two-axis tracking and IoT connectivity to enable remote monitoring through the ESP8266’s Wi-Fi feature. This research helps provide sustainable energy solutions and illustrates the capabilities of microcontroller-based automation in enhancing solar photovoltaic efficiency for home and educational applications.