2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

As global energy demands grow, solar energy plays an increasingly vital role in achieving a sustainable future. The efficiency of solar energy harvesting can be improved with solar tracking systems. Developing solar tracking systems is an excellent project for students to develop, expand, and deepen their engineering skills while working on a project with real-world significance. This study demonstrates a low-cost, dual-axis solar tracker using an Arduino, 3D printed components, mathematical modeling, coding, and readily available electrical parts, including light-dependent resistors, a servo motor, and a stepper motor.

We report on a 15-month-long learning journey: participation in the Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP) Nanotechnology course for 3 weeks, followed by 14 months of subsequent abstract conceptualization, design, building, and testing the solar tracking systems, and reflections. Students led this project as part of a Project-based Learning framework grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. Students gained foundational knowledge about principles of the solar cell, semiconductors and pn junction in lectures, then learned characterization method of the solar cell efficiency with Arduino, current sensor, potentiometer, and multimeter in a lab session of ESAP Nanotechnology course. After the course, students were further motivated to make a prototype solar tracking system for renewable energy technology. Through the iterative process of building, testing, and troubleshooting, the solar tracker demonstrated a 16.5% improvement in energy generation compared to the fixed solar panel.

Reflection highlights substantial learning outcomes, including interdisciplinary learning, automation, coding, problem-solving skills, self-efficacy, and collaborative experiences. This project allows high school and undergraduate students to replicate their experiences in an affordable, efficient, and educational manner.