Energy Consumption

Ritchie, H., Rosado, P., & Roser, M. (2024, February 26). Energy production and consumption. Our World
in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-consumption

Demand for energy is growing across many countries in the world, as people get richer and populations
increase.

If this increased demand is not offset by improvements in energy efficiency elsewhere, then our global
energy consumption will continue to grow year-on-year. Growing energy consumption makes the challenge
of transitioning our energy systems away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon sources of energy more
difficult: new low-carbon energy has to meet this additional demand and try to displace existing fossil fuels
in the energy mix.

Global energy consumption has increased nearly every year for more than half a century. The exceptions to
this are in the early 1980s, and 2009 following the financial crisis.

Global energy consumption continues to grow, but it does seem to be slowing — averaging around 1% to
2% per year.

Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2023); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our
World in Data. “Primary energy from other renewables” [dataset]. Energy Institute, “Statistical Review of
World Energy”; Smil, “Energy Transitions: Global and National Perspectives” [original data].

The share of renewables (excluding hydro) in global power generation continued its rising trend, driven by
record new build of solar and wind. Their share of total global electricity production reached 14% in 2022,
higher than that of nuclear energy (9%). The share of coal in the power sector stood at around 35% whilst
the share of gas generation in 2022 remained close to its 10-year average level at 23%.

"Solar and wind recorded a record increase of 266 GW in 2022 with Solar accounting for 72% of the
capacity additions.

Morse, E., & Turgeon, A. (2024, April). Solar energy. National Geographic.

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/solar-energy/

Solar Energy

Solar energy is a renewable resource, and many technologies can harvest it directly for use in homes,
businesses, schools, and hospitals. Some solar energy technologies include photovoltaic cells and
panels, concentrated solar energy, and solar architecture.

Active solar technologies use electrical or mechanical devices to actively convert solar energy into another
form of energy, most often heat or electricity.

Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a form of active solar technology that was discovered in 1839 by 19-year-old French
physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. Becquerel discovered that when he placed silver-chloride in an
acidic solution and exposed it to sunlight, the platinum electrodes attached to it generated an electric current.
This process of generating electricity directly from solar radiation is called the photovoltaic effect, or
photovoltaics.

Today, photovoltaics is probably the most familiar way to harness solar energy. Photovoltaic arrays usually
involve solar panels, a collection of dozens or even hundreds of solar cells.

Each solar cell contains a semiconductor, usually made of silicon. When the semiconductor absorbs
sunlight, it knocks electrons loose. An electrical field directs these loose electrons into an electric current,
flowing in one direction. Metal contacts at the top and bottom of a solar cell direct that current to an external
object. The external object can be as small as a solar-powered calculator or as large as a power station.

Photovoltaics was first widely used on spacecraft. Many satellites, including the International Space Station
(ISS), feature wide, reflective “wings” of solar panels. The ISS has two solar array wings (SAWs), each
using about 33,000 solar cells. These photovoltaic cells supply all electricity to the ISS, allowing astronauts
to operate the station, safely live in space for months at a time, and conduct scientific and engineering
experiments.

Photovoltaic technology can be installed on a smaller scale. Solar panels and cells can be fixed to the roofs
or exterior walls of buildings, supplying electricity for the structure. They can be placed along roads to light
highways. Solar cells are small enough to power even smaller devices, such as calculators, parking meters,
trash compactors, and water pumps.

Solar energy is the most abundant, unlimited, and clean renewable energy supply currently available. The entire world
receives around 1.8 × 1011 MW of solar power, much exceeding current energy consumption rates. Photovoltaic
technology is one of the most effective ways to harness solar power. The paper discusses photovoltaic technology, its
power generation potential, the various present light-absorbing materials employed, its environmental impact, and a
range of its uses.
(Sidek et al., 2017)

Sidek, M., Azis, N., Hasan, W. Z. W., Kadir, M. Z. a. A., Shafie, S., & Radzi, M. a. M. (2017). Automated

positioning dual-axis solar tracking system with precision elevation and azimuth angle control.

Energy, 124, 160–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2017.02.001

Implementation of Dual- Axis Solar Tracking

To convert solar energy into electrical energy, photovoltaic voltage (PV) solar panels have been widely used
as important components of solar tracking systems. Shang and Wei (2023) designed a novel dual-axis solar
tracking system to enhance solar radiation yield. The photoelectric method was utilized for solar tracking,
relying on signals from photoresistors on the solar panel's edges. The authors also introduced a PID control
algorithm to facilitate intermittent position adjustments. According to the results, the prototype solar tracker
functioned as expected, specifically for small-sized solar panels. 24.6% more energy was obtained from the
solar panel that tracked the sun on two axes when compared with that of the 30° tilted fixed-surface panel.
Shang, H., & Wei, S. (2023). Design and implementation of a Dual-Axis solar tracking System. Energies,

16(17), 6330. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16176330

Development of a dual-axis solar tracker for efficient sun energy harvesting
In the current scenario, static-oriented Photovoltaic (PV) panels are hampered by fluctuations in the
sun's trajectory, leading to suboptimal solar energy conversion. Authors Sanyal et al. (2023) proposed a
low-cost prototype of a two-axis solar tracker that integrates four optical sensor modules as feedback sensors
and two direct current-geared motors to maximize solar energy harvesting. Comparative analysis between a
fixed-oriented PV panel and the solar tracker, using conventional on-off and artificial intelligence-based
fuzzy logic control methods, verifies the two-axis solar tracker's performance. The fuzzy logic controller-
based solar tracker net energy gains approximately 14.2% more power than the fixed-oriented PV panel
daily and boasts an average tracking error of 0.29°, indicating its reliability.
Sanyal, A., Mohanta, J. C., & Ahmed, F. (2024). Development of a dual-axis solar tracker for

efficient sun energy harvesting. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part E,

Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1177/09544089241241453

The solar tracker's control system was powered by a microcontroller unit (MCU) with auxiliary devices such as an
encoder and a global positioning system (GPS). The sun path trajectory algorithm, which uses the astronomical
equation and GPS data, was also included in the system.
Another investigation was conducted to compare the power generation performance of dual-axis solar tracking to that
of a fixed-tilted photovoltaic system. The solar tracker's control system was powered by a microcontroller unit (MCU)
with auxiliary devices such as an encoder and a global positioning system (GPS). The sun path trajectory algorithm,
which uses the astronomical equation and GPS data, was also included in the system. The solar tracker can
automatically position itself using the sun path trajectory algorithm, with an accuracy of ±0.5°. The incorporated
proportional integral derivative (PID) positioning technology reduces energy usage while improving elevation and
azimuth angle tracking. It demonstrates that the indicated solar tracker can generate 26.9% and 12.8% more power
than a fixed-tilted PV system in clear and heavy overcast situations, respectively.
Sidek et al. (2017)
(Sidek et al., 2017)

Sidek, M., Azis, N., Hasan, W. Z. W., Kadir, M. Z. a. A., Shafie, S., & Radzi, M. a. M. (2017). Automated

positioning dual-axis solar tracking system with precision elevation and azimuth angle control.

Energy, 124, 160–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2017.02.001

Types of Solar Tracking Systems

Solar tracker drive systems are categorized into five types: active, passive, semi-passive, manual, and

chronological. Active systems use sensors to determine the sun's path in the sky, triggering a motor

or actuator to move the drive system towards the sun. Passive systems rely on thermal expansion or

pressure imbalances between two points at the tracker's ends, typically fluids. Semi-passive systems

track the sun with minimal mechanical effort and reduced movement, while chronological systems

follow a fixed rate and angle throughout the day and different months. These systems vary in their

tracking technologies and performance.

(Hafez et al., 2018)

Hafez, A., Yousef, A., & Harag, N. (2018). Solar tracking systems: Technologies and trackers drive types – A review.

Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 91, 754–782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.03.094

Classification of Solar Tracking System

A solar tracking system is a mechanism for orienting a solar photovoltaic panel toward the sun's beam direction,
particularly in solar cell applications where high precision is required to ensure that concentrated sunlight is properly
delivered to the powered device. This system can be either electric or mechanical. The system's primary goal is to
determine the highest possible solar power output. Solar tracking is classified according to the frequency of motion.
Single Axis Tracking System: These trackers feature a single degree of freedom that serves as the axis of rotation.
Single-axis trackers have their axis of rotation aligned with the true north meridian. Dual-axis tracking systems have
two degrees of freedom that serve as axes of rotation. These axes are usually parallel to one another. The primary axis
is the one that remains fixed on the ground. The secondary axis is the one that corresponds to the major axis. There are
several common implementations of dual-trackers. Their classification is based on the orientation of their major axes
relative to the ground. Azimuth-altitude and tilt-roll (or polar) solar trackers are the most common two-axis solar
trackers used in solar energy applications.

Muhammad, J. Y., Jimoh, M. T., Kyari, I. B., Gele, M. A., & Musa, I. J. (2019). A review on Solar Tracking

System: A technique of solar power output enhancement. Engineering Science, 4(1), 1.

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.es.20190401.11

Potential of Solar Energy

Philippine solar energy applications could operate on-grid or off-grid, depending on their location. The average yearly
solar insolation varies between 1643 and 2008 kWh/m2. Fossil fuels are the Philippines' primary energy source,
accounting for 80% of total energy production. Despite this, the share of renewable energy remains relatively high
(41%), due to significant contributions from biomass and geothermal energy resources, among other things.

Pandey, A., Kalidasan, B., Rajamony, R. K., Saidur, R., Tyagi, V., Krismadinata, K., Said, Z., Salam, P. A.,

Juanico, D. E., Ahamed, J. U., Sharma, K., Samykano, M., & Tyagi, S. K. (2022). Solar energy

utilization techniques, policies, potentials, progresses, challenges and recommendations in ASEAN

countries. Sustainability, 14(18), 11193. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811193