Rotating solar panel design

////////// Set up global data ////////// 
// Times: 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16
int azimuths_axis1[8] = {0,145,155,170,185,200,215,0};
int altitudes_axis2[8] = {0,10,15,15,15,15,10,0};

// startTime, endTime, activeTime, sleepTime
int times[4] = {10,16,6,8};

// Set up time/day variables (times/days)
int currentTime, currentDay, startTime, sleepTime;
int count = 0; // initial value

// Set up axis variables
int axis1Angle, axis2Angle;

////////// Start the process ////////// 
void start(){
    
    printf("Setting up today's parameters!\n");
    
    // set global variables
    currentDay = 0;
    printf("%s%d \n", "Current day: ", currentDay);
    
    printf("%s%d \n", "Count: ", count);
    
    currentTime = times[0];
    printf("%s%d \n", "Current time: ", currentTime);
    
    sleepTime = times[3];
    printf("%s%d \n", "Sleep time: ", sleepTime);
    
    startTime = times[0];
    printf("%s%d \n", "Start time: ", startTime);

    // Run the code for the day
    printf("\nStarting a new day!\n");
    
    while(endOfDay(currentTime) == 0){ // while NOT at end of the day
        // run locking + unlocking sequences
        lockUnlock(1);
        lockUnlock(2);
        
        // delay for one hour (updates the current time)
        delay();
        
        // Update current time!
        printf("%s%d \n", "Current time is now: ", currentTime);
    }
    
    printf("(Day has ended). \n\n");
    sleep(currentDay);
}

• Many Canadian cities, such as Calgary, have the potential for solar energy application, and almost 50% of Canada’s residential electricity requirements could be met by installing solar panels.
• Research shows that rotating solar panels can increase the net energy production by up to 40%.
• This project increases the annual power production of an industrial solar panel by 21% (on average), and can be applied on an industrial scale (e.g., solar farms).

Our design is compact, multi-axial, and implements unique locking and rotary mechanisms to ensure the sturdiness and effectiveness of our project. The locking mechanism (designed based on park-pawl mechanism) is shown on the right.

This design produces an average of 21.4% more power than its stationary counterpart, and (not including initial setup costs) has an extremely low operating cost (<$100 annually):

The rotating panel consistently produces more power than the stationary panel throughout the year (assuming that the year is 2020). These power values are calculated by considering the solar radiation, irradiation, location, and inclination angle of the panel.

The profit projection of this panel over a 14-year period is shown below. The annual profit is calculated by using the monthly rate per kilowatt-hour ($/kWh) in Calgary from 2006 to 2020.