PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

Received: 20 August 2023, Accepted: 15 November 2023, Published: 29 December 2023, Publisher: UTP Press, Creative Commons: CC BY 4.0

ENHANCED SOLAR TRACKING SYSTEM USING INTERNET OF

THINGS TECHNOLOGY
Qawiem Naif Qisti1, Noramalina Abdullah2, Khairul Azman Ahmad3
1,2
School of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
3
Electrical Engineering Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Penang, Malaysia

*E-mail: eenora@usm.my

ABSTRACT

Solar energy has grown in popularity in recent years. Conventional solar panels cannot provide enough energy to meet
consumer demand. Therefore, more solar panels are needed to meet consumer demand. The Internet of Things (IoT)
Solar Tracker maximises solar energy collecting by connecting the physical and digital worlds. This study integrates IoT
to improve solar tracker performance. Blynk uses the NodeMCU ESP8266 control unit to monitor voltage, current, and
power usage. This research uses the Arduino IDE, a photoresistor sensor, and a current sensor, INA219. This work advances
solar energy efficiency. By comparing solar panel electrical qualities in different environments, this research succeeded.
To assess solar panel efficiency, 5 V and 12 V fans were used as loads. The results demonstrated that load configuration
deliberately influences power and energy production. Solar panels produced greater power and energy under 12 V fan
loads than 5 V loads. This observation assists solar energy system analysis and design. Second, the IoT solar tracker was
tested for electricity harvesting. The solar tracker harvested more solar energy than a fixed orientation. After tracking the
sun, it enhances voltage, current, power, and energy by 30%. Web dashboards and smartphone apps allow real-time IoT
device monitoring and control. The interactive web dashboard displayed solar panel data. Track electrical properties
and sunshine intensity. IoT devices influence solar tracker decisions and promote sustainable energy.

Keywords: IoT solar tracker, Blynk application, NodeMCU ESP8266

INTRODUCTION

Solar is one of the renewable energies that are available and

can be used in the future due to its sustainability [1]. Solar
energy is divided into two parts, which are thermal
energy and electricity generation. Solar panels were
used for conversion from visible light to electricity
for electricity generation. The photovoltaic panel that
contains two different semiconductor materials will
generate the voltage when the visible light strikes the
junction of P and N. There are several types of solar
panels, which are monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and
thin film. Monocrystalline has an efficiency of roughly
20%, while polycrystalline has an efficiency of 15%, and
the lowest efficiency among these three is a thin film
with an efficiency of 10% [2]-[3]. The monocrystalline
solar cell has the highest efficiency and is the most Figure 1 The conversion of light to electricity [4]

2 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

expensive compared to the other solar cells due to its for the sun's movement. In contrast, the sensor solar
complex manufacturing process. Figure 1 shows the tracker uses a photoresistor sensor to detect sunlight.
working principle of converting light to electricity; The sensor solar tracker is more accurate than the time-
visible light strikes the junction of P and N [4]. based solar tracker [8]-[10]. The solar tracker system has
two movement types: single-axis and dual-axis. The
The manufacturing process of solar panels starts with single-axis system is the solar tracker that only moves
the fabrication of wafers from silicon ingots [5]. Then, on one axis. In comparison, the dual-axis system is the
the wafer is fabricated to become a solar cell. The solar solar tracker moving in vertical and horizontal axis
cell is connected in series and sorted according to its simultaneously [11].
efficiency during tabbing. The solar panel has several
layers, starting with Tedlar composite, ethylene vinyl The efficiency of dual axis solar tracker is higher than
acetate (EVA) film, solar cells, and tempered safety glass that of a single axis, and the dual-axis solar tracker can
in the lamination process [6]. The laminated solar panel be implemented in different locations without changing
will use a framing process to increase its durability. the original longitude coding. The usage of solar trackers
The solar panel will be tested and sorted according can increase the efficiency of electricity generation by
to its efficiency. The components of the solar panel nearly 40% [12]. The movement of single-axis and dual-
containing tempered glass, solar cells, EVA film, and axis solar trackers are displayed in Figure 3 [5].
Tedlar composite are displayed in Figure 2 [7].

Figure 3 Single-axis and dual-axis solar tracker

movement [5]
Figure 2 The cross-section of the photovoltaic panel [7]
For this research, a dual-axis solar tracker was used due
Polycrystalline solar panels are the most popular type to the instability of the weather in Malaysia. The dual
of photovoltaic panels. The efficiency of this solar panel axis with the sensor tracker is the most suitable solar
is considerable, and the cost is lower than that of the tracker to be implemented for this study.
monocrystalline panel. The polycrystalline solar panel
was selected for this research. The polycrystalline solar IoT Solar Tracker System
panel fulfils all the criteria needed by the end user. IoT has become so popular lately with the introduction
of Industrial Revolution 4.0. The IoT is implemented in
Solar Tracker System various fields and industries, such as manufacturing,
A solar tracker is a device that detects sunlight for safety switching devices, and energy harvesting [13].
harvesting solar energy. The solar tracker will usually A solar tracker system is a system that is designed
have a solar panel, controller, and motor for mechanical to detect the movement of sunlight. The IoT solar
movement of the solar panel, and the last one is the tracker system is a solar tracker system that provides
power source for the controller circuit. There are two feedback to the user through the internet. The data
types of solar tracker, which is time-based and sensor-based. exchange between the user and the solar panel is
The time-based solar tracker uses an estimation of time through the internet. Users can monitor and control

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 3

PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

the tracker system using only a web dashboard or Phase 2 of the research focuses on data collection from
mobile phone application. The web dashboard and the hardware to the user, using the current sensor
mobile application that had been proposed is the and the Blynk application as a GUI for monitoring
Blynk. The Blynk contains a web dashboard and mobile parameters such as power consumption, current,
application that is suitable for the affordable price for voltage, power, and energy consumption [10]. The user
making the prototype and for mass production. The can also monitor the parameter through an Organic-
Blynk application Graphical User Interface (GUI) can Light-Emitting-Diode (OLED) screen attached to the
be designed to suit the user's needs. The frequency solar tracking device. Phase 2 begins with the circuit
data used to transmit to Blynk Cloud is 115200 Bits testing and verifying the IoT solar tracking device. The
Per Second. circuit shield of the solar tracking device. The solar tracking
device is built with a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)
The IoT solar tracker uses the embedded sensor and sensor and an Arduino Uno Microcontroller. The second
processor to read and write the data for monitoring solar phase also contains the circuit testing for the solar
panel parameters such as power consumption, current, tracker's Internet of Things data monitoring device.
and voltage [11],[14]. The IoT role of the solar tracking The Microcontroller that was used for this system is
device is monitoring electrical parameters. The IoT for NodeMCU ESP8266. The Blynk cloud is connected to
monitoring uses a simple current sensor and calculation the Microcontroller to monitor data.
controlled by the microcontroller. The microcontroller will
send the data from the solar tracker to the user through Proposed System
the internet. Important parameters such as power The system is divided into a monitoring system and a
consumption, voltage generated, current draw, and solar tracker. The first part is a solar tracker that uses
energy saving can be monitored by using a smartphone Arduino Uno as a microcontroller, an LDR sensor as
or computer anywhere around the globe [7]. an input device, and a servo motor as an actuator. The
second part is the monitoring system, which uses the
METHODOLOGY NodeMCU ESP8266 as the controller, the INA219 current
sensor as an input device, and OLED as an output device.
The research is divided into two phases, which are a solar The monitoring system also uses IoT technology to send
tracker device and an IoT monitoring device. It aims to the data to the user over the internet.
design an IoT solar tracker device that is affordable in
price using Arduino IDE as a programming compiler. Solar Tracker
Phase 1 of the research is software development, which The dual-axis solar tracker is developed as the first part
includes web dashboard design for the consumers, of the system. The solar tracker contains a solar panel,
whereas Phase 2 is hardware development, which is LDR sensor, Arduino Uno, and servo motor. The LDR
data collection from the hardware to the user [15]. sensor will sense the intensity of light and send a signal
to the microcontroller, and the servo motor will move
Phase 1 started with software development, including accordingly based on the signal received by the sensor.
circuit design. The web dashboard and mobile The block diagram of the dual-axis solar tracker starts
application were designed during Phase 1. The web with the input from the LDR sensor and sends it to
dashboard and mobile application use the Blynk the microcontroller for processing the data. The servo
application, where the developer can set up the GUI for motor will be controlled using Arduino uno based on
this project. The developer can use all the free versions the calculation of voltage change when the LDR sensor
of the Blynk application since it is an open-source drops the resistance value. There are four LDR sensors
service. The software debugging had been implemented that were used to detect sunlight. Two of the LDR
simultaneously with the mobile application and web sensor are used to detect sunlight from east to west,
design development. The Arduino Ide is used to compile and another two LDR sensors are used to detect south
and debug the program of this research. Next, the circuit to north, making this system work in any direction
design using Fritzing software was executed. The Fritzing without manual calibration. Figure 4 below shows the
software is a computer-aided drawing (CAD) software block diagram of the dual-axis solar tracking system
that is free and provides many components and libraries. using Arduino Uno, LDR sensor, and servo motor.

4 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

the same, the microcontroller will start comparing the

LDR Sensor 1
intensity of the light based on LDR (1,4) and (2,3). If the
Servo Motor
first pair is not the same value, the servo motor will turn
Upper
up or down based on the intensity of the light. The up
LDR Sensor 2
and down represent north and south respectively. The
Arduino Uno microcontroller will compare the second pair of LDR,
(Control Unit) which is LDR (1,4) and LDR (2,3). If the intensity LDR (1,4)
LDR Sensor 3
and LDR (2,3) are different, the LDR will move to the
Servo Motor left or right, representing the East and West direction.
Base The circuit diagram of the dual-axis solar tracking
LDR Sensor 4
system shows that the LDR sensor is connected to
Arduino Uno pin A0 to A3. Each signal will send an
Figure 4 The block diagram of the solar tracking system analogue signal to the microcontroller. The servo motor
will connect to Pin 9 and Pin 10, the PWM pin in Arduino
The flowchart for the solar tracking system is in Figure 5. Uno. The circuit diagram, as in Figures 6 and 7, show
The algorithm starts by comparing the Intensity of LDR the circuit and schematic diagrams, respectively, using
(1,2) and LDR (3,4). If the intensity of the LDR pair is Fritzing software.

Start

Establish Connection
between controller and
Blynk Server

Read Voltage, Current

and Power

Display Current in NO YES Display Current in

Current > 1000mA
unit mA unit A

YES Display Current is

Power > 1000mA
unit 'Ω'

NO

Display Current in
unit 'W'

Notify user through YES Power exceed

Mobile application Predefined Value
and Email

NO

Calculated
Energy

Display Current in NO YES Display Current in

Energy > 1000mWh
unit m'W' unit m'W'h

Upload Data
To Server

End

Figure 5 The flowchart of the solar tracking system

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 5

PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

L x W x H. The overall sizing for the solar tracking device

is (92 mm x 150 mm x 148 mm) L x W x H. The solar
tracking device is powered by a USB socket with a rating
of 5 V voltage and 2.4 A current. The specifications of
the solar tracker device are in Table 1.

Table 1 Specifications of solar tracker device

Parameter Value

Power Supply 5 V/2.4 A

Solar Panel Voltage Rating 5V
Solar Panel Power Rating 1W
Figure 6 The circuit diagram of the solar tracking system
Solar Panel Dimension (L x W x H) 70 mm x 100 mm x 5 mm

Prototype Dimension (L x W x H) 92 mm x 150 mm x 148 mm

IoT Monitoring System

The solar tracker monitoring system will monitor
several parameters from the solar panel. The solar
panel will provide the data obtained from the current
sensor, process it through the microcontroller
NodeMCU ESP8266, and send the data over clouds
through the internet. The recent sensor measures
the voltage across the shunt resistance value inside
Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the solar tracking system the INA219. The obtained value of shunt voltage is
directly proportional to current; hence, the value
Project Specification of voltage and current can be measured. The data
A physical prototype of the solar tracker had been can be monitored by only using smartphones and
developed consisting of Arduino Uno, Arduino mobile applications.
Shield, LDR sensor, and servo motor, as in Figure 8.
The cloud service that was proposed is Blynk. Blynk
is an IoT app that provides mobile applications,
cloud services, and a web dashboard for data
monitoring and communication medium for users
and hardware. The parameters such as voltage,
current, power consumption, and electricity cost
can easily be obtained through a smartphone
from the mobile application and web dashboard.

The IoT solar tracker monitoring uses a signal from

the INA219 current sensor to feed onto the NodeMCU
ESP8266, and the controller will process the data
and display it on the OLED screen and the user's
smartphone. Figure 9 shows the block diagram of the
Figure 8 The physical prototype of the solar tracking system
IoT solar tracking monitoring system.

The solar panel used for this prototype is rated 5 V, 1 W. The

dimensions of the solar panel are (70 mm x 100 mm x 5 mm)

6 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

Display Parameter on OLED Display

(Voltage, Current, Power, Energy
the value of power exceeds the predefined value,
Consumption)
the user will get notified by mobile application and
Aquire Information From
Hardware and Sensor
NodeMCU ESP8266
(Control Unit)
Email. The energy is then calculated using the power
value and sent to the OLED display and Blynk cloud.
Display Parameter on Mobile Application
(Voltage, Current, Power, Energy
The sequence diagram of the algorithm is in Figure 10,
Consumption)
and the flowchart of the IoT monitoring system is
in Figure 11.
Figure 9 The block diagram of the solar tracking system

The algorithm starts with the microcontroller

establishing the connection to the Blynk cloud
or server. The current sensor INA219 will read the
voltage, current, and power from the solar panel and
display it on the OLED display. 1000 mA is the most
relevant value to ensure the sent data in unit mA. If
the current is less than 1000 mA, the data that had
been sent to the OLED display and the Blynk cloud
is in mA unit. If the current is more than 1000 mA,
the controller will send the data in A unit to both
the OLED display and the Blynk cloud. The controller Figure 10 The Sequence diagram of the IoT
solar monitoring system
will read the power value from the sensor, and if

Start

Establish Connection
between controller
and Blynk Server

Read Voltage, Current

and Power

Display Current in NO YES

Current > 1000 mA Display Current in
unit mA unit A

YES Display Current is

Power > 1000 mA
unit 'Ω'
NO
Display Current in
unit 'W'

Notify user YES Power exceed

throughMobile Predefined Value
application and
Email
NO

Calculated
Energy

Display Current in NO YES Display Current in

Energy > 1000 mWh
unit m'W' unit m'W'h

Upload Data
to Server

End

Figure 11 The flowchart of the IoT solar monitoring system

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 7

PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

The circuit diagram of the IoT solar tracker is an INA219 Table 2 Specification of IoT monitoring device
current sensor with I2C protocol. The SCL and SDA of
the INA219 current sensor are connected to NodeMCU Parameter Value
pins D1 and D2, respectively. The OLED display also Power Supply 5 V/3.2 A
uses I2C protocol and uses the same connection as the
Voltage Rating 26 V
INA219 current sensor. The pin D1 and D2 of NodeMCU
is SCL and SDA pin. The circuit and schematic diagrams Current Rating 3.2 A

of the IoT monitoring system are in Figures 12 and 13, Prototype Dimension
100 mm x 100 mm x 50 mm
respectively. (L x W x H)

Figure 12 The circuit diagram of the IoT

monitoring system

Figure 14 The physical prototype of the IoT monitoring system

Theoretical Calculation
The theoretical calculation discusses the calculation
made before developing the project. The main law used
for this project is Ohm's Law. Ohm's Law calibrates the
INA219 current sensor since it provides shunt voltage
Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the IoT
monitoring system by connecting V+ and V- to the load. V+ and V- of the
INA219 current sensor are the terminals of the shunt
Project Specification resistor, as in Figure 15 [9].
A physical prototype of the IoT monitoring system
had been developed using the breadboard consisting
of NodeMCU ESP8266, 0.96-inch OLED display LDR,
and INA219 current sensor. The device can monitor
up to 26 V of DC voltage and 3.2 A of current. The
component fits in an enclosure box with dimensions
of 100 mm (L) x 100 mm (W) x 50 mm (H). The monitoring
device is powered by a USB connection with 5 V voltage
and 3.2 A current. Project specifications are in Table Figure 15 Schematic diagram of the INA219
2, and the physical prototype monitoring device is in current sensor
Figure 14.
The voltage drop from the shunt resistor is sent through
the I2C protocol to the microcontroller. The calculation
of the shunt voltage equated as:

8 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

Vdrop = V 12 V 2 (1) Percentage

= EnergySensor - EnergyM x 100% (6)
Error
EnergySensor
The purpose of the shunt resistor is to calculate the
value of the current consumed by the load using:
The percentage error is a fundamental topic in
I load = V 2 V
1 2
(2) measuring devices. The percentage error is calculated
0.1Ω between the sensor's and the multimeter's energy.

The load's power can easily be calculated using Ohm's RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Law, as:
Analysis of Different Load
Pload = Vdrop x I load (3) Different load types have been used to study the
behaviour of the monitoring system. The section
With the power obtained using the INA219 current will discuss when using a 5 V fan as a load and
sensor, the microcontroller can calculate energy using: the monitoring system's behaviour with different
conditions. The different conditions are with shielding,
E Joule = P x t (4) without shielding, and artificial light. The data for
shielding is taken when the cloud obstructs the
The microcontroller calculates energy by multiplying sunlight. The artificial light used in this study is a
the power obtained with the time. The energy obtained conventional table lamp, and the data taken is at
by microcontroller operation is in unit Joule because room temperature during daylight. The data without
the microcontroller stores data every 1 second due to shielding is taken when the sunlight is at the highest
the clock cycle. The energy needed to convert from intensity. The obtained voltage, current, and power
Joule to Watt-hour since it is normal practice in energy using the sensor are obtained from Equations 1,2 dan 3
monitoring to monitor energy in a unit of Watt-Hour, respectively. The microcontroller receives data from
equated as: the sensor, and calculations are made and displayed
on the OLED display.
E Wh = P x t (5)
3600
Analysis of 5 V DC Fan
The percentage error between the sensor and the The result obtained from a 5 V DC fan is current,
multimeter can be calculated as: voltage, power, and energy. Three lighting conditions

Table 3 The data of IoT solar tracker with 5V fan as the load

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 9

PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

were tested using the solar tracker with shielding, The power and energy calculations align with these
without shielding, and artificial light. The data show observations. The measurements without the shield
each measuring device's voltage and current values (direct sunlight) yield higher power and energy
(multimeter and sensor) under different conditions. values than those with the shield (appearance of
The result provides insight into the solar panel's cloud) or under artificial light. The statement further
performance and the effect of different variables. The emphasises the importance of direct sunlight for
data shielding is when the cloud obstructs the sunlight, maximising solar panels' power generation and
and without shielding, it is when the solar panel receives energy production.
sunlight directly without any cloud. The artificial table
lamp is used indoors at room temperature, and the Considering the percentage errors, the measurements
data is recorded during daylight. The data is taken in without the shield show a lower error at 0.3739%,
10 minutes duration with 2-minute intervals to study indicating a relatively accurate representation of
the behaviour of the IoT Solar tracker system with 5 V the reference values. The measurements with the
load. The data of the experiment are as in Table 3. The shield and under artificial light exhibit slightly
data from the table for power and energy was plotted higher percentage errors, suggesting some degree
in bar chart form for further analysis, as in Figure 16. of deviation from the reference values due to the
respective conditions. The percentage error also
indicates that the monitoring system was well-
functioning with tolerable error compared to the
physical multimeter. The shield may reduce external
interference. Wind, dust, temperature variations, and
EMI can cause measurement inaccuracies without a
barrier. The shield prevents these disturbances, which
is crucial in sensitive studies that require accuracy.

Analysis of DC Fan 12 V
Power (mW) Energy (mWh)
The result obtained by the 12 V DC fan includes current,
With Shield Without Shield Artificial Light
voltage power, and energy. The solar panel monitoring
Figure 16 The bar chart for the 5 V fan device was tested in three conditions: with shielding,
cloudy, with limited sunlight available; without
Comparing the measurements taken with and without shielding, where the sunlight is at its peak intensity;
the shield, it is evident that the shield (obstructed by a and artificial light, which is the data taken indoors
cloud) significantly impacts the solar panel's electrical in daylight with a room temperature of around 25°C.
parameters. The average voltage and current values are The data were compared between the multimeter and
slightly higher when the cloud does not obstruct the sensor to give more insight into the usability of the
solar panel, indicating that direct sunlight significantly monitoring device. The percentage error indicates how
contributes to increased electrical output. The data much the error of the monitoring device to precisely
confirms that cloud limits sunlight reaching the solar measure the solar panel with a 12 V DC fan. The data
panel, reducing power generation. is taken 10 minutes in duration with a 2-minute
interval. Figure 17 shows the bar chart of the 12 V fan
Besides, the measurements taken under artificial light analysis. Protecting experiments and measurements
(indoor testing with a table lamp) show slightly lower are the outside factors that can affect measurements.
voltage and current values than those without the Wind, rain, dust, and other environmental conditions
shield (direct sunlight at the highest intensity). The impair measurement accuracy. A shield manages the
data suggests that the artificial light source may not environment to reduce additional consequences.
match the intensity or spectrum of natural sunlight Controlling artificial light ensures uniformity. In
while providing illumination. The general luminance contrast, weather, time, and season affect daytime
value of the table lamps is 400-500 lumen. As a result, natural light. Measurements can be inaccurate in
the electrical output of the solar panel under artificial uneven lighting. Furthermore, shields block ambient
light is slightly lower than that under direct sunlight. light that disrupts research. Without a barrier, sunlight

10 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

and building light enter. Stray light can reflect, refract, in power generation and energy production. The solar
and cast shadows, causing measuring inaccuracies. panel's average voltage and current values were like
those of the first data set. The data suggests that the
Table 4 The Data of IoT solar tracker with 12 V fan as a load monitoring device can accommodate and adapt to the
higher voltage load.

The study emphasises that load configuration

substantially affects power and energy calculations.
The experiment involving the switch from a 5 V fan
load to a 12 V fan load yielded significant variations in
power generation and energy production. The solar
panel exhibited steady performance about average
voltage and current measurements, suggesting
that it is dependable and enduring under different
circumstances. The report emphasises the importance
of considering the specific load configuration when
analysing and comparing data. It is crucial to draw
appropriate conclusions based on this consideration.
The percentage error on both loads with all conditions
is below 10%.

Analysis of Solar Tracker Device

This section has discussed the usage of IoT solar tracker
devices. The section is divided into solar tracker devices
and IoT devices. The first part discusses solar tracker's
effect in harvesting electrical energy. The second part of
this section discusses the results of the web dashboard
and mobile application, as well as the several functions
of the IoT systems. The complete prototype of the IoT
Figure 17 The bar chart for the 12 V fan solar tracker device is in Figure 18.

Comparative Study on Different Load

Based on Table 3 and Table 4, a comparative study on
the effect of different loads on the monitoring system.
The analysis of the two data sets offers valuable
information regarding the solar panel's efficiency when
subjected to varying load setups and conditions. The
initial dataset, which employed a 5 V fan as the load,
resulted in comparatively lower power and energy
calculation values. The lower power generation and
energy production of a 5 V fan can be attributed to Figure 18 The full prototype of the IoT solar tracker
its lower voltage requirement. The monitoring device
exhibited steady performance with the mean voltage Solar Tracker Device
and current readings under varying conditions. The solar panel had been tested with and without the
tracker to justify that the solar tracker had improved
The second data set demonstrated higher power and the ability of the solar panel to harvest more energy
energy values, employing a 12 V fan as the load. The compared to laying the solar panel without any angle.
second set of data contrasts with the first set of data. The solar panel tested is a 5 V solar panel with a 5 V DC
According to the observation, it was observed that the fan as the load. The measured parameters are voltage,
12 V fan's higher voltage requirement resulted in a rise current, power, and energy in 10 minutes at the highest

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 11

PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

intensity of the sunlight. The data is taken around 12.00 p.m. that the solar panel receives more direct sunlight,
without any obstruction of the cloud. The graph of leading to a higher current flow. This is reflected in
power throughout this experiment is as in Figure 19. the higher current readings observed throughout the
test duration.
Table 5 The data of solar panels with and without solar
tracker The power and energy consumption values also
demonstrated distinct variations between the
two conditions. The solar panels with the tracker
consistently exhibited higher power and energy
consumption than those without the tracker. This is
primarily due to the increased voltage and current
values achieved with the tracker, as power is calculated
by multiplying voltage and current. Consequently, the
solar panel's overall energy output and consumption
increased when the tracker was utilised.

These results suggest that the solar tracker positively

impacts the solar panel's performance. Tracking the
sun's movement allows for improved alignment with
the sunlight, resulting in increased voltage, current,
power, and energy generation. The increase in power
and energy generation of solar panels with the usage
of solar trackers is around 30%. Therefore, it's proven
that solar panels can increase power generation by
around 20-30%.

IoT Device
The result is also displayed using web dashboards
and mobile phone applications. The readings taken
Figure 19 The power graph for solar panels with and
for the 5 V fan include voltage, current, power, energy
without solar tracker
estimation, and energy capacity. The energy estimation
and cost data are based on Equations 3.5 and 3.6. The
The provided data based on Table 5 and Figure 19
web dashboard for the 5 V fan as a load is shown in
presents the results of a test conducted to compare the
Figure 20. The condition for this experiment is the
performance of a solar panel with and without a solar
value taken indoors with artificial light and room
tracker. When analysing the electrical parameters, it is
temperature.
evident that the solar panels with the tracker exhibited
some notable differences from those without the
tracker.

Firstly, the average voltage readings were slightly

higher when the solar tracker was used for solar energy
generation. This can be attributed to the solar tracker's
ability to orient the solar panel more accurately towards
the sun, resulting in enhanced solar irradiation and
increased voltage output.
Figure 20 The web dashboard showing all the parameters
for a 5 V fan
Secondly, the current measurements were consistently
higher when the solar tracker was employed. The solar The web dashboard includes a current graph, power chart,
tracker's ability to follow the sun's movement ensures and energy estimation chart to give an interactive graphical

12 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

interface to the user. All the data is stored in a cloud server The user will also be notified if there is an increase
provided by the sensor through the internet. The data in power generation with a predefined value by
displayed on the web dashboard are live feed data from the developers. The notifications can be sent to the
the sensor. The primary purpose of the current graph is to smartphone through the email or the application.
estimate the intensity of the sunlight received by the solar The notification also can be set to trigger a warning
panel. Users can quickly understand the intensity of the to the user through the web dashboard. The mobile
sunlight by just looking at the current graph because the notification triggers when the Power reaches 20 mW,
intensity of the sunlight is directly proportional to the value as in Figure 23. 20 mW may be a significant power
of the current produced by the solar panel theoretically. generation or solar panel system event. Notification
Besides the web dashboard, the data from the mobile triggers inform users of important events or conditions.
application was also recorded. The data from the web The 20 mW threshold may be useful for notifying users
dashboard is the same as in mobile applications. The mobile because it represents a noticeable or important power
application is designed to make an interactive way for the generation level in the system's operation.
user to monitor electrical parameters for the solar tracking
device on the go. Figures 21 and 22 show the Blynk mobile
application displays value and graph, respectively.

Figure 23 The mobile application notifications for certain

values of power reach
Figure 21 The mobile application showing all the display
values for the 5 V fan Power generation below a specific level may indicate
an issue that needs investigation or maintenance.
Twenty may be the minimal allowable power for system
efficiency or battery charging.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the aim of this research has been

successfully achieved by focusing on monitoring and
comparing the electrical parameters of solar panels
under several conditions. The first part of the analysis
focused on using a 5 V fan and a 12 V fan as the loads
to inspect the efficiency of the solar panel. The results
indicated that the load configuration impacts power
generation and energy production knowingly. The solar
panel exhibited higher power and energy values when
subjected to a 12 V fan load compared to a 5 V fan load.
This observation can benefit the design and analysis of
the solar energy system. The second part of the analysis
examined the effectiveness of the IoT solar tracker
device in harvesting electrical energy. We can observe
that the solar tracker significantly improved the solar
Figure 22 The mobile application showing all the graphs
and charts for the 5 V fan panel's ability to harvest more energy compared to a

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 13

PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

fixed orientation. It can follow the sun's movement and Renewable Energy System For Rural Electrification,"
increase voltage, current, power, and energy generation Solar Energy, vol. 188, pp. 1068–1083, Aug. 2019, doi:
by about 30%. Furthermore, implementing IoT devices, 10.1016/j.solener.2019.07.008.
including web dashboards and mobile applications,
offered real-time monitoring and control capabilities. [8] N. AL-Rousan, N. A. Mat Isa, and M. K. Mat Desa,
"Efficient Single And Dual Axis Solar Tracking System
The web dashboard provided an interactive graphical
Controllers Based On Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference
interface displaying live feed data from the solar panel.
System', Journal of King Saud University - Engineering
The users can understand the intensity of sunlight Sciences, vol. 32, no. 7, pp. 459–469, Nov. 2020, doi:
received and track electrical parameters. Integrating 10.1016/J.JKSUES.2020.04.004.
IoT devices further enhances the ability of solar
tracker systems to make knowledgeable decisions and [9] S. Das, P. K. Sadhu, S. Chakraborty, S. Banerjee, and T. Saha,
contribute to sustainable energy practices. "Design And Implementation Of An Intelligent Single
Axis Automatic Solar Tracking System," Mater Today
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Proc, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 383–387, May. 2021, doi:
10.1016/J.MATPR.2021.04.428.
The authors would like to thank the Department of
Research and Innovation Universiti Sains Malaysia for [10] R. Vinodhkumar and S. John, "IoT Based Dual-Axis Solar
giving the opportunity and support throughout the Tracking System," in IOP Conference Series: Materials
Science and Engineering, IOP Publishing Ltd, Sep. 2020.
completeness of this work.
doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032024.

REFERENCES [11] A. El Hammoumi, S. Motahhir, A. El Ghzizal, and A. Derouich,

"Internet of Things-Based Solar Tracker System,"
[1] M. A. Hanif, F. Nadeem, R. Tariq, and U. Rashid, "Solar Green Energy and Technology, pp. 75–95, 2021, doi:
Thermal Energy And Photovoltaic Systems," in Renewable 10.1007/978-3-030-64565-6_4.
and Alternative Energy Resources, Elsevier, 2022, pp.
171–261. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818150-8.00007-1. [12] M. Yakut and N. B. Erturk, "An IoT-based approach for
optimal relative positioning of solar panel arrays during
[2] S. Ashok, "Solar energy Definition, Uses, Advantages, backtracking," Computer Stand Interfaces, vol. 80, Mar. 2022,
& Facts, Britannica." Accessed: Dec. 11, 2022. [Online]. doi: 10.1016/J.CSI.2021.103568.
Available: https://www.britannica.com/science/solar-
energy [13] D. C. Nath, I. Kundu, A. Sharma, P. Shivhare, A. Afzal,
M. E. M. Soudagar, and S. G. Park, "Internet of Things
[3] A. M. Bagher, "Types of Solar Cells and Application," Integrated with Solar Energy Applications: A State
American Journal of Optics and Photonics, vol. 3, no. 5, of the Art Review" Environment, Development and
p. 94, 2015, doi: 10.11648/j.ajop.20150305.17. Sustainability, 2023. doi:10.1007/s10668-023-03691-2

[4] M. K. Hsiao, K. Zhang, M. Gou, andY. Liang, "Development and [14] F. Thabit, O. Can, A. O. Aljahdali, G. H. Al-Gaphari, and
application of graphene silk solar panel concept in smart bus H. A. Alkhzaimi, "A Comprehensive Literature Survey
stop design," Energy Reports, vol. 9, pp. 142–150, Apr. 2023, Of Cryptography Algorithms For Improving The Iot
doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2022.12.007. Security," Internet of Things, p. 100759, Mar. 2023, doi:
10.1016/J.IOT.2023.100759.
[5] O. C. Onar and A. Khaligh, "Energy Sources," Alternative
Energy in Power Electronics, pp. 81–154, Jan. 2015, doi: [15] M. D. Mudaliar and N. Sivakumar, "IoT-based real-
10.1016/B978-0-12-416714-8.00002-0. time energy monitoring system using Raspberry Pi,"
Internet of Things (Netherlands), vol. 12, Dec. 2020, doi:
[6] Energy.gov Portal. "Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing 10.1016/J.IOT.2020.100292.
Basics, Department of Energy." Accessed: Dec. 11, 2022.
[Online]. Available: https://www.energy.gov/eere/ [16] L. Prasetyani, M.J.F. Arifianto, D. Subagio, and W. Sarfat,
solar/solar-photovoltaic-manufacturing-basics "Experimental analysis design of solar panel energy
monitoring prototype," In 2020 7th International
[7] K. Murugaperumal, P. Ajay, and D. V. Raj, "Feasibility Conference on information technology, computer, and
Design And Techno-Economic Analysis Of Hybrid

14 PLATFORM VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877

 PLATFORM - A Journal of Engineering

electrical engineering (ICITACEE) pp. 236-240. doi: 10.

1109/ ICITA CEE50 144. 2020. 92391 66, 2020.

[17] K. Priyadharsini, J. R. D. Kumar, B. C. Ganesh, A. Srikanth,

V. Sounddar, and M. Senthamilselvan, "Elegant method
to improve the efficiency of remotely located solar
panels using IoT," Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 45,
pp. 8094–8104, 2021, doi: 10. 1016/j. matpr. 2021. 01.
572

[18] K. Zeb, I. Khan, W. Uddin, M. A. Khan, P. Sathishkumar,

T. D. C. Busarello, I. Ahmad, and H. J. Kim, "A Review On
Recent Advances And Future Trends Of Transformerless
Inverter Structures For Single-Phase Grid-Connected
Photovoltaic Systems," Energies (Basel), vol. 11, no. 8,
Aug. 2018, doi: 10.3390/EN11081968.

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 4 2023 e-ISSN: 26369877 PLATFORM 15