- Design a one-axis vertical rotation system capable of supporting a solar panel
- Write a system that can pull data from online sources regarding location, weather, and times of sunrise/sunset
- Implement a system that can utilize data to calculate position of the sun relative to a solar panel on the ground
- Integrate hardware with software to position the solar panel such that it directly faces the sun at any given point
- Allow system to update real-time to constantly move the solar panel to track the position of the sun
- Implement hibernation functionality for the system when the weather does not permit efficient solar power generation
Key elements of final solution:
- One-axis vertical mechanical rotation
- IoT connectivity
- Real-time updates based on internet data
- Real-time updates based on sensor-collected data
- More efficient solar power generation than traditional solar panel
- Potential for large and small scale implementation
- Inexpensive solution to problem
Mirror and lens-based solutions require too much extra area and too much extra material to maintain large and small scale applicability.