Implementation of maker movement to renewable energy laboratory: case study of auto-tracking photovoltaic model

Abstract

Maker-based education as well as research is a novel way to build self-designed tools on reasonable costs to perform tests with new methods and technologies. The application of maker movement (e.g. 3D printing, microcomputers, etc.) is future oriented and sustainable especially for renewable energy engineering which has to compete with cheap fossil sources of fuel. An interdisciplinary approach is followed between experts from technical and socioeconomic disciplines as well as from teaching experts in order to get to a comprehensive view on structural development issues.Development of solar panel tracking system has been ongoing for several years. As the sun moves across the sky during the day, it is advantageous to have the solar panels track the location of the sun, such that the panels are always perpendicular with the position of the sun. Moreover, this method can be combined with tracking of the sun according sun position data. Although sun tracker systems are available commercially, they can be quite costly, depending on their tracking sophistication level. This contribution described a less costly alternative, which offers the advantage to be optimized by the operators. The functioning principle of how to use the maker movement approach for building up the auto-tracking photovoltaic model has been scientifically developed. This model enable students, researchers and operators to design and prototype a fully functional solar tracker system. Moreover, up-scaling procedures were developed.