Investigation of Energy Harvesting System Using Hybrid Solar Panel

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has increased interest in energy harvesting technologies. These technologies can capture ambient energy from the environment, such as sunlight, vibrations, or heat, and convert it into usable electricity. In this investigation, a hybrid energy harvesting system that combines solar panels and piezoelectric sensors to generate electricity. To optimize the output of the piezoelectric sensors, different configurations (series and parallel) and impact locations (centre and edges) were examined. It was found that connecting the sensors in parallel and striking the edges resulted in the highest voltage output, with parallel configurations reaching around 0.72 V for 3 sensors and 2.62 V for 5 sensors, compared to series configurations which yielded lower values. An initial setup of an acrylic sheet on top of a solar panel with piezoelectric sensors attached to the sides to harness the direct impact of rainfall was examined. Furthermore, the use of springs in the frame design was explored to enhance the vibration experienced by the piezoelectric sensors, leading to improved performance. Further, rain simulations with different sensor configurations provided valuable insights into the system’s response to varying rain intensities.