A self-powered hybrid dual-axis solar tracker with integrated PV-TEG model for improved grid injection and autonomous operation

The primary objective of this research endeavor is to thoroughly examine the efficiency and viability of deploying hybrid solar tracker. The whole study for dual-axis solar tracker development has been carried out in following three different sequential phases: • Optimal DAST system configuration for grid tie power generation analysis. • Phase-1: energy potential feasibility has been checked using PVsyst software tools. • Phase-2: electrical operations of hybrid tracker system using Matlab software tools. • Phase-3: mechanical stability of the proposed model. • Life cycle emission analysis. The search for improved solar energy conversion efficiency consistently motivates innovation beyond the scope of traditional photovoltaic (PV) technologies. A major drawback of such active dual-axis solar trackers is their inherent parasitic power consumption, i.e. , some of the produced electricity is used to operate their own motors at the cost of decreasing net energy output. The present work presents and assesses a new solution to these circumstances: an autonomous solar tracker hybrid that allows self-generated operation. The system combined a thermoelectric generator (TEG) with the PV panel such that the plant uses, at advantage, the waste heat of its own surface to produce electric power itself and get continuous sun- tracking activation. This breakthrough feature annuls the need for external power sources to keep the tracker running. Energy pricing for a scaled plant operation was designed with PVsyst thus showing that annual grid injection 16.436 MWh is feasible. Secondly, the electrical characteristics of the integrated PV-TEG system and standalone power management circuit have been modelled and optimized in MATLAB/Simulink. Third, the structural robustness of the dual-axis tracking set-up was analytically confirmed through a finite element analysis. It has been prototyped in Durgapur, India and pilot tested extensively. The system's autonomy and its performance were experimentally validated. The hybrid ( viz., PV+TEG) tracker was always superior to the fixed-tilt and common tracking configurations for all seasons. In winter, it provided an average power gain of 3.03 kW ( i.e., 53.25 %) over the fixed system and a 0.23 kW ( i.e., 2.68 %) gain over a tracker without TEG integration. Corresponding summer gains were 1.45 kW ( i.e., 23.60 %) and 0.22 kW ( i.e., 3.65 %), respectively. This work successfully transitions the concept of a solar tracker from an energy consumer to a fully self-sufficient energy harvester, presenting a practical model for enhancing the net yield and operational independence of renewable energy systems.