Inexpensive Solar Tracking for Developing Regions

A solar tracking system for photovoltaic cells was built and tested in sub-Saharan Africa. The cell was suspended from a mount, and weights were hung on the two ends. One of the weights was a water bucket with a controllable leak. The water bucket was hung from the east end of the cell, and the weights were adjusted so it was heavier in the morning. Over the course of the day, as it lost water, the cell rotated to track the sun. The system was tested for 20 days, and collected 32% more energy than would have been collected by a horizontal solar cell in the same location. The cost of the frame is less than the savings in purchasing a smaller PV cell, so it has the potential to make solar energy more affordable to households and small businesses in the developing world.