An intelligent fuzzy based tracking controller for a dual-axis solar PV system

This paper proposes the design of fuzzy controller for a dual-axis solar tracking Photovoltaic (PV) system. The controller aims at maximizing the solar PV cell's efficiency by forcing sunlight to be incident perpendicularly to the PV panel at all times. The system consists of PV solar panel that is allowed to move using two motors, four PV sensors positioned at four different locations, and a fuzzy logic controller that takes the inputs from the four sensors and calculates the appropriate output speeds for both motors. A simulation of the proposed system is carried out and the results confirm the many advantages of the system. Simulation study shows reliable performance of the proposed tracking system. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.