I used strong geared motors and four solar cells (12V, 100mA) for the control device. The system tracks according to the amount of current flowing over the single solar cells. If the sun moves the aluminium sheet casts shade on one solar cell. There are then different amounts of current flowing over the cells and the whole device rotates until the solar tracker is parallel to the sun.
This systems has to be improved because it’s not perfect, but I hope you get the idea.
Energy in the Real World
Solar and Wind are not renewable. The energy from solar and from wind is of course renewable but the devices used to capture the energy of the sun and wind is not renewable. Nor are they green or sustainable.
An oak tree is renewable. A horse is renewable. They reproduce themselves. The human-made equipment used to capture solar energy or wind energy is not renewable. There is considerable fossil fuel energy embedded in this equipment. The many components used in devices to capture solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy and biomass energy – aluminum, glass, copper, rare metals, petroleum in many forms to name a few – are fossil fuel dependent.
From with pictures of machines and devastation:
https://sunweber.blogspot.com/2011/01/energy-in-real-world.html
The same could be said for the internet, but it is well worth it, no!? The internet can build community, raise consciousness, and make information available to all. Information is a powerful tool for sustainability. The internet will probably reveal the next breakthroughs making solar and wind energy technologies sustainable. I’d like to use this technology for now. What is not green or sustainable and is anti-community, anti-democratic, surprisingly, is the car! We’ve been hypnotized and mezmerized by marketing to think of this beast as liberating! Check out Yves Engler’s new book, Stop Signs and his website, yvesengler.com. Full of great insights and well researched.
Sure wish there was an english translation for Manuel Gross’s video. Thank Manuel!!