RUNNING HEAD: Lab Notebook 10

Solar Energy Out on a Limb: A Novel Photovoltaic Energy

Jarrett Lash and Hahnbee Lee

March 17, 2017Materials and Methods

These past two weeks have created an exciting unexpected turn for our project.

At the Prince William Manassas Regional Science Fair, our project earned us a slot to the

Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair as well as the International Science and

Engineering Fair. With this comes not the end of our project, but the beginning of a

whole new level for us.

To be prepared for the State Fair, we remade the tree to incorporate a middle

branch to make the system appear more full and organic. We felt the original design did

not resemble the full look we were aiming for (Fig 1.) The new design also shows show

the new tree design can incorporate more panels to decrease the floor footprint of the
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solar panels, furthering our argument for the plaement of PVTrees in urban enviroments

where space is limited.

Fig 1. The PVTree that competed at the Regional Science Fair.

Fig 2. The New PVTree including the middle branch

We have not been able to test the high torque servos due to snow and Hahnbee

boing absent on a trip. We plan to move forward through the State Fair with the same
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appeal we have at regionals and prepare for ISEF by achieving operation movement to

show a true increase in power.

Data and Results

The data from our first stream of data collect yielded that the PVTree stationary had a

44% increase in productivity from the control test. Taking the highest point of energy

collection, stating as the ideal position, and moving that point throughout the whole test,

as if it is following the sun, then there is a theoretical 196% increase. We use this as the

theoretical test for moving model and once the tree is operational with the high torque

servos, then we will be able to field test this.

We have not been able to test due to intense cloud cover and snow. We are able to

normalize our data based on sun light collected compared to UV light present, but we still

want the tests to have plenty of light to have a real valid test. As spring truly approaches,

we have many sunny days to collect data.

References

Cockfield. B. (2015). Two Axis Solar Tracker. Retrieved October 25. 2016 from:

http://hackaday.com/2015/08/25/two-axis-solar-tracker/

Dimitrokalia, E., Mackrilla, J., Jones G., Ramachersb Y., Caina R. (2015). Moving away

from

flat solar panels to PVTrees: exploring ideas and peoples perceptions. Retrieved

September 15, 2016 from:

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http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/environment/carbon/solar_trees/downloads/pro

ceeding_paper2015.pdf

Sarokin. J. (2014). How to: Build a Solar Powered Raspberry Pi. [Video File]. Retrieved

October 20. 2016 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpAYDcW_Jx0

Verma, N., Mazumder, S. (2014). An Investigation of Solar Trees for Effective Sunlight

Capture

Using Monte Carlo Simulations of Solar Radiation Transport. Retrieved

September 27, 2016 from:

https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/68744/Navni_Verma_Hayes_Res

earch_Forum15.pdf?sequence=1

Zhr, M., Friedrich, D., Kloth, T. Y., Goldmann, G., & Helmut Tributsch, H. (2010).

Bionic

Photovoltaic Panels Bio-Inspired by Green Leaves. Retrieved September 19,

2016, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49293285_Bionic_Photovoltaic_Panels_

Bio-Inspired_by_Green_Leaves