Análise de desempenho de um gerador fotovoltaico dotado de um seguidor solar de eixo polar

Abstract

This work introduces the performance comparison between a photovoltaic module coupled to a polar-axis sun tracking module, to another fixed module, from a quantitative and qualitative analysis. It discusses the basic concepts of photovoltaic solar energy when it comes to technical features, as well as the increasing participation in Brazil's electrical scope, for being one of the most promising alternative energy. It also brings up a survey about the applications and characteristics of solar trackers by approaching the most ordinary sorts of it and several different already published studies about its performances worldwide. In additional, a field experiment took place in which, an analyze of the performance between a fixed model and a sun tracking module - one axis, both of polycrystalline silicon, with nominal power of 87Wp was made. Both modules were installed with its orientation facing the geographical north and its inclination angle was set as the same as the local latitude, in the city of Curitiba. Data were acquired from the beginning of August 2017 to the end of October of the same year, summing up a total of 92 days. It was verified that the average energy gain obtained by the sun tracking coupled module in relation to the fixed one during the analyzing period was equivalent up to 23%. As a result, it brings up the discussion on the technical feasibility and the features of the usage of a polar-axis Sun tracking module in photovoltaic energy generation by identifying influential factors, evaluated gains and criteria to be considered in the design and application of this kind of mechanism.