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Smart Solar Mover – Solar trecking system

Research project: smart solar mover (completed)

Photovoltaic systems are used to convert solar energy into electricity. The power of the so-called solar modules is, among other things, directly dependent on the amount of incident light. The latter depends directly on the orientation of the solar modules to the sun.

To increase the power, therefore, state-of-the-art electric motor tracking systems can be used. Manufacturers claim performance increases of up to 60%. However, these actuators show problems: Due to weather conditions, reliability needs improvement, as well as these elements consume up to 12% of the generated power themselves.

About the project

In the project Smart-Solar-Mover an innovative approachis chosen. A tracking unit for solar modules, driven autonomously via thermal solar energy, is to be developed. This system will be developed with smart materials in the form of shape memory alloys (SMA) in such a way that the influences of ambient temperatures compensate automatically (adaptively).

The consortium of a research institute and four industrial companies would like to develop this development from the current state of the art on the level of precision-mechanical basic results to a holistic demonstrator (technical setup with concept and service aspects) with 2m² solar panel surfaces and establish a value chain for this technology in NRW in the future. (completed)

The project partners

The project is coordinated by the Forschungsgemeinschaft Werkzeuge und Werkstoffe e.V. from Remscheid. The project was selected for funding in the competition EnergeSystemWandel.NRW (first round). This project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

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