Mysoltrk is a low-cost photo voltaic panel monitoring system

Whereas a photo voltaic panel mounted to the highest of a roof, lamp put up, or the aspect of a constructing will produce energy, it’s nowhere close to optimum for reaching the utmost effectivity doable. To get higher outcomes, panels are sometimes mounted to pivots and linear actuators/servo motors that regularly transfer to at all times face the solar. However as Fulvio factors out, these motors might be heavy and require additional batteries to perform, which is what impressed him to create the mysoltrk to deal with this shortcoming. Fulvio constructed his “reinvented” tracker to be small, stable, and durable sufficient to outlive outdoor on a balcony or another space-constrained space like a backyard.

Mysoltrk depends on a pair of quite simple but sturdy actuators which might be every primarily based round a 6V 30RPM geared DC motor, which spins a threaded rod to maneuver an M3 nut nearer or additional away. When positioned in the identical airplane and linked by way of a ball joint on the prime, this triangle of is ready to maneuver the panel in three axes.

Each motors had been then wired to an L298N motor driver which is managed by an Arduino Nano. Having to include Wi-Fi or a GPS receiver would have launched far an excessive amount of complexity, so these elements had been changed by a matrix of 4 photoresistors and a monitoring algorithm that, in essence, makes an attempt to steadiness the readings throughout all of them with a purpose to level straight on the solar. Maybe essentially the most unbelievable a part of this mission is how no batteries are required because of the low-power motors.

For extra details about mysoltrk, which was just lately chosen as a finalist within the 2023 Hackaday Prize Inexperienced Hacks problem, you’ll be able to learn Fulvio’s write-up right here.