Southern Africa and indeed Zimbabwe, which is in the center of this region, is endowed with a plethora of natural resources including abundant exposure to solar radiation throughout the year. However, the potential to harness this resource remains untapped largely due to lack of capacity and technology. This research aimed at developing an intelligent single axis solar tracking device through the conceptualization of various possibilities and ultimately the design, development and optimization of the selected concept. Apart from being costly, existing solar tracking systems have a low solar conversion efficiency and are difficult to maintain in developing countries. Three possible concepts were analyzed and the most appropriate solution was selected using the binary dominance matrix. The selected concept was developed and optimized to maximize the solar panel’s efficiency by tilting the panel to be perpendicular to solar radiation at all times. The system consisted of a solar panel, a stepper motor, a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensor and an Arduino Mega microcontroller. The output from the LDR sensor determined whether there was sufficient radiation, prompting calculation of the desired tilt angle and subsequently the output speed of the stepper motor. Experiments were carried out to determine the effects in efficiency of the proposed system over the fixed 24 W solar panel, the results of which showed a 25 % increase in efficiency, high enough to justify implementation as the range for existing systems is 15-20%. The solar tracker was successfully developed using locally available materials to track maximum solar radiation throughout the day. The total manufacturing costs amounted to USD 147, a feasible and economical venture that can readily be implemented and competitive on a commercial scale. A number of enquiries have been received and the developers are in the process of registering a patent for this affordable tracker.
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