Team Solaris

https://youtu.be/hYZZq8xAS_o

https://github.com/SalmanSayeed79/Solaris-BD

Important Links :

Solaris web app: https://solaris-bd.web.app/

Solaris mobile app APK drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/170HMrigXFpZwzHW3F4FIAJt-gC9HfU5Z/view

Solaris web app repository: https://github.com/SalmanSayeed79/Solaris-BD

Solaris Mobile app repository: https://github.com/zarifikram/SOLARIS

Solaris Backend repository: https://github.com/pptx704/solaris-backend

Solaris IoT repository: https://github.com/pptx704/solaris-servo-control

Solaris manual panel calibration demo: https://youtu.be/22TRc51Kw7o

Project Components

1. Mobile Application on Android/iOS platform
2. Web Application
3. Back-end custom API
4. Arduino Solar Tracker Prototype

Methodology:

Backend REST API :

The core of the "Solaris" web app and the mobile app is its backend REST API. This is where the fetching of data occurs. And our calculation for optimal tilt angle is also done here.

Calculation of the optimal tilt angle: The Algorithm

 One of the key features of "Solaris" is to provide the optimal tilt angle for solar panels. All the calculations for that are done in our backend.

In our algorithm, we use Global All-Sky Surface Irradiance, Clear Sky Surface Irradiance to calculate diffuse irradiance. We use location data to calculate the solar zenith angle for a specific day of a year, and using it, and Nasa’s All-Sky Insolation Clearness Index, calculate a special clearness index. We use the modified clearness index to see whether the sky is overcast or not. Based on the sky conditions, the optimal tilt angle of the panel is calculated using a previously calculated zenith angle. 

 Resolving CORS error while fetching data

 Fetching data directly from POWER API causes CORS(Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) error. This is error is resolved in our backend using the CORS module for Flask.

Progressive Web App

Solaris web app is an all-around solution for people looking for solar data. The web app provides 4 different services for all categories of people.

The services are -

Solar Data

    This service gives our users how much solar energy they can expect at a particular time by using NASA's POWER API and shows the users a monthly or yearly average sunlight value. Users can also get how much energy they can potentially save by placing a solar panel in their location

Optimal tilt angle

    This is the second service that "Solaris" provides to its users. Through this service, a user can get a particular angle for setting up their solar panel. We take into consideration all sorts of variables including cloud data, diffusion, and other variants in our back-end, and send that to our custom-made REST API.     

Farming Service

    Farmers are not that knowledgeable when it comes to working with data. So Solaris provides them with the simplest form of data that they need. Instead of giving our users a bunch of unnecessary gibberish data, we just give them a basic verdict based on the range of the data. We provide a variety of data for farmers. These include :

• Temperature
• Rainfall
• Humidity
• Wind-speed

    We also have the option of getting detailed data for each category so that researchers and students can also use our service.

Historical Rainfall Data

    Since rainfall data is something that is used in many research and study purposes, Solaris also provides this service for its users. Users can get the rainfall data of any location around the world at the tip of their fingers.

Mobile Application

When a user logs into our mobile application, they are requested to feed geolocation data to the mobile application. The application then sends the data to our server using a custom-built API. On the server, power data from Nasa is requested and processed using our algorithm. 

To guide mobile application users to correct the orientation of solar panels, we use the phone’s accelerometer and magnetometer sensors. The sensor’s output is shifted according to the correct angles so that users can simply position their panels in a process as simple as bringing a circle to the center of the screen.

Solaris IoT Device : 

This IoT device fetches the optimum tilt angle from Solaris data and moves the servo motor according to that. The Arduino module works in three steps -

1. Arduino calls API from Solaris Backend using the ESP8266 library. And extracts the optimum tilt angle from that.
2. The Servo module then moves the servo motor towards that tilt angle and tracks the sun.
3. Lastly, the Arduino waits for 2 hours to repeat tasks 1 and 2, and makes the Arduino a perfect demonstration of Solaris' perfection!

Benefits of the Project:

The possibilities with Solaris are immeasurable. Here are some of the thousands of benefits that Solaris offers:

• Optimal panel orientation calculation without the need for expensive sensors
• Guidance for panel positioning that is simple enough to be used by everyone
• A simple, portable solution that works irrespective of the location, and time
• A data-dependent solar tracker that removes the need for manual adjustment
• Easy and convenient data for farmers
• Detailed historical data for researchers and students
• Yearly and monthly solar data based on location
• Custom data fields
• Historical rainfall data for researchers
• Custom API for future builds

Future Possibilities :

Intelligent Solar Panel Stand

Currently, our IoT device only moves to an angle to show our users how much tilt they may need. However, we can use this device to make an intelligent stand that will be able to hourly re-adjust the tilt angle of the solar panel. This will be a cheap and affordable solution that will revolutionize the solar panel industry

Intelligent Crop Suggestion

Currently, our web app provides our farmers with basic verdicts based on their location and time. We can use the same data to create a system that will suggest to our users what kind of crops they should plant at a given time. This would drastically change the conventional farming methods as farmers will now be able to know which crop to plant at which time and will thus result in a high yield of crops.

Language and Packages Used in Project:

Mobile Application

1. Flutter
2. Dart
3. Material UI (UI Library)
4. Motion Sensors Package
5. Google Maps Flutter Package

Web Application

1. JavaScript
2. React JS (Frontend Library)
3. Material UI (UI Library)
4. Chart JS (Graphing Library)
5. React Router DOM (Routing)
6. Firebase Hosting (Hosting)

Backend REST API

1. Python
2. Flask 
3. CORS module

Solaris IOT Device

1. Arduino Uno
2. Servo Library
3. ESP8266 Library

API Used in Project:

1. NASA Power API (Solar Data Fetching)
2. Google Maps API (Location Service)
3. Google Geolocation API (Location Service)

Panel Orientation Measurement and Energy Calculation:

All Sky Surface Shortwave

Clear Sky Surface Shortwave

All Sky Insolation Clearness Index

Farming Data Processing and Verdict Presentation:

Temperature at 2 meters

Relative Humidity at 2 meters

Precipitation

Wind Speed at 10 meters

When we started the project, the first problem we faced was our team collaboration. That did not happen because some of us were incompatible or something. The problem occurred because one of our members could not contribute properly due to lack of electricity. At his place, he never has electricity for more than 12 hours, that too with a solar panel installed. This incident drove us to work on next generation solar panel solutions that can gain optimum energy provided by the sun. But wait, we didn't just stop there!

Team Solaris decided to extend their solutions from solar panels to all-in-one farming data analysis.

Thus far, our journey with this hackathon has been amazing. We have had a mentor assigned to use who has been relentlessly working alongside us in making this project a success. The organizers from our region were also very enthusiastic and helpful as they were always there for us whenever we needed. All around this was an outstanding experience and we can't wait to join the next one even before this one has ended.

Dependencies:

• NASA POWER API: NASA POWER API
• Google Maps API: Google Maps homepage
• Flutter: Flutter homepage
• Firebase: Firebase homepage
• Chart JS: Chart JS homepage
• Python Flask: Flask Website

Studies:

• Optimal solar tracking strategy to increase irradiance in the plane of the array under cloudy conditions: A study across Europe
• Determining Tilt Angle for Fixed Solar Panel To sites of Iraq's Provinces by Using the Programs on NASA and Google Earth Websites
• Optimal Orientation and Tilt Angle for Maximizing in-Plane Solar Irradiation for PV Applications in Japan

#solar #electricity #farming #sustainable_development #rainfall #production

This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.