Design and Implementation of a Solar-tracking Algorithm

The paper presents a solar-tracking method for control of photovoltaic panel movement in order to improve the conversion efficiency of the system. The designed algorithm is implemented on a solar-tracking experimental platform using a tri-positional control strategy. It makes use of measured values for radiation from appropriate sensors and assures command of the platform's two positioning motors. The solution was developed as a virtual instrument, using the graphical programming environment, LabVIEW. This allows for fast deployment, versatility and scalability.