Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Solar LED Lighting

Visible Light Solar Technologies Solar LED Lighting for Lexus

Lexus Selects Visible Light Solar Technologies Solar/LED Lighting Solutions for New Mexico Dealerships, Gaining Over 80% Efficiencies.


Extreme testing' a solar-powered LED light

Carmanah engineers test a new self-contained solar-powered LED light for aviation, marine and obstruction tasks. Designed to perform in some of the world's most challenging environments

Saturday, October 2, 2010

How Solar Tracking Systems Work and Solar Trackers, The Most Advanced Panels

Solar Trackers, The Most Advanced Panels

Solar tracking devices, mounted with photovoltaic (PV) panels, allow the panels to exactly track the sun's path across the sky and can increase the yield of solar energy installations by as much as 40 percent compared to stationary panels. Solar trackers have been around since about 1980, but their increasing use in both commercial-scale and residential solar energy projects is a direct result of proven, improved solar capture efficiencies. This increase, though largely driven by commercial-scale solar energy installations, has translated into lower costs and more reliable tracking systems for homeowners and small businesses as well.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Trackers,-The-Most-Advanced-Panels&id=2794870

How Solar Tracking Systems Work

Solar power systems are an investment both financially and environmentally. A PV system will save money on electricity and ensure a greener future. The one drawback with solar is that most system are fixed whereas the sun is continually changing positions in the sky. However, with the use of solar tracking systems this loss of energy can be largely mitigated.

But what are solar tracking systems? Put simply, these systems when applied to photovoltaic power kits track the sun, and cause the panels to rotate to receive sunlight for as long a possible. This increases your power output by as far as 30 to 50%, though the amount can be significantly less than that depending on the photovoltaic tracking system you use and your location. Of course this energy generated does not take into account the amount of power the tracking system itself uses, but it's minuscule compared to the additional power you'll be gathering from your sun-powered home kit. There are also power-less systems that use gas-filled tubes to move the trackers.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Solar-Tracking-Systems-Work&id=2362851

Increase Your Solar Panel Output by Using a Solar Tracker

So do you want to know how a solar tracker can increase your solar system output?
I understand how a lot of people are using solar systems to power their homes. It saves a lot of money plus it is an environment friendly source of energy.
Well, I do use solar panels myself to generate electricity at my own home. And guess what?
I was able to increase the output of my solar system by using a solar tracker.
Get this- A tracker can increase your annual output by a minimum of 30%.
I want you to think about this- We all know that the position of the sun varies both with the seasons and time of the day as the sun moves across the sky, right?
Of course we all do, even a 10 years old knows that.
Solar tracker

http://ezinearticles.com/?Increase-Your-Solar-Panel-Output-by-Using-a-Solar-Tracker&id=3646483

Friday, September 24, 2010

2 Axis Solar Tracker Data and Video



 2 axis solar tracker Arduino Nano vid1

Arduino Nano controlled 2 axis solar tracker / light seeker AND battery charger. Hobby scale for the moment. The tracking fidelity is excellent, but there is still a mechanical resonance problem.


2 axis solar tracker Arduino Nano vid2

Arduino Nano controlled 2 axis solar tracker / light seeker AND battery charger. Hobby scale for the moment. The tracking fidelity is excellent, but there is still a mechanical resonance problem.


2 axis solar tracker Arduino Nano vid4

Arduino Nano controlled 2 axis solar tracker / light seeker and battery charger. Hobby scale for the moment. The tracking fidelity is excellent, but there is still a mechanical resonance problem.


Passive Solar Panel Tracking

This is a video of the panels I will be using at the UF biodiesel plant. The solar panel arrays in the Solar Energy Park use a passive tracking system which allows for the panels to increase

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Homemade Solar Tracker Demo and Solar Tracker Selfmade

Video show demo of homemade solar tracker and video show how to make solar by your self

Solar Tracker Demo.

A video of our solar tracker before the demo day. A MATLAB script continuously polls the photo-diodes through the DAQ and varies the pulse wave of the servo accordingly to make positional adjustment



Simple Solar / Sun Tracker

Video Homemade Sun Tracker in action.



Solar tracker selfmade

zweiachsige Nachführung - Tracked solar panel



Sun Tracking Solar Panel w/ Arduino

I had some little solar panels laying around and wanted to see if they would power the Arduino. They did. So, I wanted to see if I could make a sun tracking circuit to autonomously follow the sun