Design and Development of an ESP32-Based Single-Axis Solar Tracker for a Concentrated Solar Power Automation System
Rancang Bangun Solar Tracker Single-Axis Berbasis ESP32 pada Sistem Otomasi Concentrated Solar Power
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21070/r.e.m.v11i2.1872Keywords:
Concentrated Solar Power; ESP32; Internet of Things; single-axis solar tracker; receiver temperatureAbstract
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems require solar tracking to maintain the direction of reflected solar radiation toward the receiver. This study aimed to design and test an ESP32-based single-axis solar tracker integrated with receiver temperature monitoring and Internet of Things (IoT)-based data logging. The novelty of this study lies in integrating reflector tracking, real-time thermal monitoring, and digital data logging into a single CSP prototype. Experimental testing involved Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensors, a DC linear actuator, a Type-K thermocouple, and digital monitoring platforms. The results showed that the actuator provided an estimated reflector movement range of 0°–130°, with 72.58% of LDR measurements meeting the defined balance criterion. The receiver temperature reached a maximum of 91.51 °C, with an average of 53.38 °C. Functional testing achieved a 100% success rate across 11 test items, while data logging achieved a success rate of 99.20%. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of integrating reflector tracking, thermal monitoring, and data logging into a single prototype. However, further evaluation of thermal performance requires quantitative solar irradiance measurements and direct comparison with a static reflector.
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