Harnessing a multitude of complementary green energy sources is the only
plausible way to satisfy the energy demands of a greedy global economy.
The potential of solar energy (being the most abundant) in fulfilling
part of the energy requirements of mankind is immense and constitutes
the focal point of this book. A self-powered solar tracker that points
directly towards the sun by means of an integrated control mechanism
with two degrees of rotational freedom was studied and developed. The
electro-mechanical control system is based on a precisely-timed
microcontroller circuit that first computes the altitude and azimuth of
the sun in real-time and then drives a pair of stepper motors that steer
the solar tracker towards it. A locally built fibre-glass parabolic
dish, the surface of which is lined with a reflective vinyl mirror film,
serves to concentrate solar rays on its surface.