الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Solar trackers are rising in popularity; they benefit a wide range of applications since distributed solar energy generation can reduce electricity costs and support energy independence. In this thesis, a simple solar tracking system is introduced. The system is a package unit that can be installed to any solar panel. The system consists of a DC motor connected directly to a self-locking worm and a worm wheel. The photovoltaic panel is rotated automatically in fine angle increments to track solar trajectory without the need for traditional complex or costly mechanisms. The proposed solar tracking mechanism is programmed to change its position by tracking the rate of change of the solar altitude/elevation angle each one hour in order to keep achieving the orthogonality between the direction of the solar irradiance and the surface of the solar photovoltaic panel covering the full range of the solar path along the daylight hours. The hourly rate of change of both the solar elevation angle and the angle of rotation of the PV panel must be equal in order to guarantee a successful tracking of the solar irradiance all day. A model of the solar tracking system is developed using ordinary differential equations, and numerically solved by MATLAB/SimulinkTM. The introduced mechanism is proposed to be less complex, cheaper and easier to install than the currently available tracking mechanisms.