Automated Solar Tracking Panel Array for an Independent Hydroponic Electricity Supply

The world's population is growing, and so is the demand for food. New technologies make agriculture more efficient but require a lot of energy. Alternative technologies and resources such as renewable energy should replace non-renewable energy sources to reduce environmental impacts and sustain natural resources. The project explores the possibility of implementing an automatic sun-tracking solar panel array for an independent hydroponic system. The main idea of this project is to create solar arrays that will optimize the usage and storage of renewable energy sources in hydroponic systems. Most importantly, the project's unique element is designing a solar tracking system that will be about 20% more efficient than fixed solar panels in power generation. It is to create a hydroponic system with a single-axis solar tracking system and a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charging controller. It would better optimize solar energy harvesting and provide higher energy generation efficiency than fixed solar panel systems. In addition, with the help of MPPT systems, the power output of solar panel systems can be maximized at any time. The author found that the project could provide about 29% of the power enhancement from efficiency tests under ideal optimization compared to a fixed solar panel system.