Research and Development in Machine Design
type: channel
description: Research and Development in Machine Design This is blind peer-reviewed journal that provides a platform which aspires to cover all the aspects of Machine Design and its advancement into Recent Technologies in the field of Electronics. Focus and Scope Design Engineering Design Theory Design Methodology Design Support Concurrent Engineering Product Development Product Design Design Science Emergent Design Kansei Engineering Affective Engineering Kansei Design Styling Design Ergonomics Human Interface Human Interaction Design, Neuro science for Design Service Engineering Life cycle Engineering Eco Design Management of Technology, Creative Design, Design Education, etc. Geometric Processing Engineering
publisher: HBRP Publication Pvt. Ltd.
language: en-US
publication name: Research and Development in Machine Design
issn: 3048-9059
copyright: Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
items: Smart Solar Tracker System for Maximizing Solar Panel Efficiency

Smart Solar Tracker System for Maximizing Solar Panel Efficiency
type: item
description: Solar energy is one of the cleanest and most widely available sources of power on earth, yet much of its potential goes untapped simply because solar panels are not positioned to face the sun throughout the day, and because dust and dirt accumulate on panel surfaces over time and block incoming light. This paper addresses both problems together. It presents the design, construction, and testing of a smart dual-axis solar tracking system combined with a motor-driven rotating brush mechanism for automatic panel cleaning — all controlled by a low-cost microcontroller. The tracker uses light-dependent resistors (LDRs) to detect the position of the sun and adjusts two servo motors to align the panel continuously with the sun from morning to evening. The cleaning mechanism runs a soft rotating brush across the panel surface at programmable intervals, driven by a small DC motor, removing dust without the need for water or human effort. Field testing at a rooftop installation in Pune showed that the dual-axis tracker improved daily energy output by 34.6 percent over a fixed-tilt panel, and the auto-cleaning mechanism recovered an additional 11.2 percent of output that was being lost to dust accumulation over a seven-day period. Together the two systems delivered a combined efficiency improvement of approximately 42 percent compared to a conventional fixed, unclean panel. The system uses simple, commercially available components, is easy to maintain, and is well suited to agricultural, residential, and small industrial applications in dusty regions of India. Cite as: Nanasaheb Shashikant Zende, Vijay Dilip Kolate, & Manoj Kumar Chaudhary. (2026). Smart Solar Tracker System for Maximizing Solar Panel Efficiency. Research and Development in Machine Design, 9(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19691783
creator: Nanasaheb Shashikant Zende
creator: Vijay Dilip Kolate
creator: Manoj Kumar Chaudhary
date: 2026-05-18
publication date: 2026-05-18
volume: 9
number: 2
starting page: 1
ending page: 13