Proposta de um sistema seguidor solar simples de baixo custo usando o ESP32

Abstract

The growth of the population and the demand for the use of electrical energy have driven the search for clean and renewable energy alternatives. Thus, photovoltaic solar energy has emerged as a viable option. Generally, this type of energy is obtained through photovoltaic modules installed in a fixed position determined by the latitude of the installation site. In this context, the present work addresses the prototyping of a single-axis solar tracker system using an open-source microcontroller platform, aiming to optimize photovoltaic energy generation. The system was designed to automatically position the photovoltaic modules towards the sunlight to maximize the generated power. Low-cost components, such as the ESP32 microcontroller, servo motor, and voltage and current sensors, were used. The study included data acquisition from the system with and without the solar tracker. The results demonstrated good performance of the components used in the prototype, although occasional failures in data transmission to the ThingSpeak platform and an overheating issue with the ESP32 microcontroller were observed. Despite these unexpected events, the prototype showed the ability to move in the east-west direction. In terms of efficiency, the system with the solar tracker achieved an 8.09% efficiency increase compared to the system without the tracking mechanism during the analyzed period.