All projects/Hardware/Completed
Two-axis solar tracker
School engineering project: a solar panel that follows the sun on two axes using LDR sensors and servos, built from low-cost parts and 3D-printed mounts.
What I built
- —Dual LDR array to estimate sun position; servo-driven two-axis tracking with a deadband to stop jitter and extend servo life.
- —Sensor shielding and noise filtering; power management to prevent brownouts; output logged to SD for field validation.
Stack
Arduino C/C++ · LDR sensors · Servo motors · 3D-printed mounts
Outcomes
- —Measured 22–28% more daily energy than a fixed panel.
- —Stable tracking under changing cloud cover.
- Energy gain vs fixed
- 22–28%