Kenya - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Tracking system are designed to orient the solar panel towards the sun. This project is very practical and the unique feature of this system is instead of taking the earth as its reference it takes the sun as guiding source.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Solar energy is used to meet the demand for renewable energy sources. In the modern world, the demand for electricity has grown into an alarming rate to meet the need of society. As the demand for solar panel grow so will the need for way to optimize they energy collection. Tracking system are designed to orient the solar panel towards the sun, by adding a tracking system the solar panel output could be increased up to 50% during the sunny months. This project is very practical and fear sensitive as they are many types of solar trackers designed in industry today. The unique feature of this system instead of taking the earth as its reference it takes the sun as guiding source. It’s active LDR constant monitor the sunlight and rotates the panel towards the direction where intensity of sunlight is maximum.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Kenya has abundant solar energy resources; its daily average solar insolation is estimated to be 4-6 K Watts hours per square meter. Sub-Sahara- Africa is considered one of the best for solar electric energy production, depending on the conversion efficiency of solar module, more energy converted to electrical power. However, there are regional and seasonal differences in the solar resources of the country seasonally; this decrease in sun intensity can be reduced if solar tracking system is introduced. This project will help to gather enough solar energy that during the months of reduced solar energy the stored energy will help.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

The aim of this project is ensuring that sunlight ray are falling perpendicular on the solar panel to give the maximum solar energy concentration which is harnessed into electrical power with the maximum energy being between the period of 1200Hrs to 1400Hrs with the peak around midday. When the sun is directly above the solar panel, the driver and the stepper motor are in free position thus minimum energy used to move the solar panel, further increasing the efficiency of the tracker.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The commercial users of solar panel (organization, institutions and community) This amount of power saving can have a significant effect in large systems like heliostat power plants where a lot of trackers are required, and power saved by all the systems will show a big amount of power. Other than this the designed tracking system can also be implemented for the solar thermal systems. Finally the proposed design is achieved with low power consumption, high accuracy, and low cost.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-04-15

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

0

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

A lecturer from technical university of Mombasa, who approved and certified my project.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

linkedin.com/in/joe-karimi-b4b066241

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

The aim of this project is ensuring that sunlight ray are falling perpendicular on the solar panel to give the maximum solar energy concentration which is harnessed into electrical power with the maximum energy being between the period of 1200Hrs to 1400Hrs with the peak around midday. When the sun is directly above the solar panel, the driver and the stepper motor are in free position thus minimum energy used to move the solar panel, further increasing the efficiency of the tracker.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

This startup will help to gather enough solar energy that during the months of reduced solar energy the stored energy will help in institution to ensure smooth learning. The startup will help learners to put into consideration in future expansion of this project.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

2

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

The objective of this project is purposely kept to what I believe is attainable within the allocated time. Many improvements can be made to the initial design. The design represents a functioning scale model which can be replicated to a more large scale. The following ideas may be kept into consideration in future expansion of this project 1. A digital display can be configured along 2. The device can be given more intelligence, whereby it can be able to predict the line of movement of the sun. 3. Increasing the accuracy and sensitivity by using different light dependent resistors.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

4

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Kenya has abundant solar energy resources; its daily average solar insolation is estimated to be 4-6 K Watts hours per square meter. Sub-Sahara- Africa is considered one of the best for solar electric energy production, depending on the conversion efficiency of solar module, more energy converted to electrical power. However, there are regional and seasonal differences in the solar resources of the country seasonally; this decrease in sun intensity can be reduced if solar tracking system is introduced. This project will help to gather enough solar energy that during the months of reduced solar energy the stored energy will help.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

2

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

2

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

Electrical solar energy from the sun is one of the renewable energy sources .This energy can be harnessed using solar panels or solar cells to convert solar radiation to electrical current. the electrical current with enable sustainable power to the streetlight, cities and a smooth running of community affairs

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Sub-Sahara- Africa is considered one of the best for solar electric energy production, depending on the conversion efficiency of solar module, more energy converted to electrical power. However, there are regional and seasonal differences in the solar resources of the country seasonally; this decrease in sun intensity can be reduced if solar tracking system is introduced. This project will help to gather enough solar energy that during the months of reduced solar energy the stored energy will help.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

3

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

2

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

6

06.08 Justification for my startup

In this technique, both the angle of azimuth and the angle of tilt of the solar tracker are used to track the sun movements throughout the year. As a result ,a set of two actuators ,usually motors is used to move the solar panel accordingly by receiving voltage signals from a set of four LED’S(which are placed on opposite side of the solar panel). When the voltage drop on all of the four LED’S is equal the solar panel is experiencing the maximum solar radiation and therefore the motion stops .This ensures the solar is at wright angle. This describes the design and implementation of an energy efficient solar tracking system from a normal mechanical single axis to a dual axis. For optimizing the solar tracking mechanism electromechanical systems were evolved through implementation. To present the tracker, a dual-axis solar tracking system is designed, built, and tested based on both the solar map and light sensor based continuous tracking mechanism.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

This project is very practical and fear sensitive as they are many types of solar trackers designed in industry today. The unique feature of this system instead of taking the earth as its reference it takes the sun as guiding source. It’s active LDR constant monitor the sunlight and rotates the panel towards the direction where intensity of sunlight is maximum.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?