Improving the efficiency of solar panels is the main task of solar energy generation. One of the methods is a solar tracking system. One of the most important parameters of tracking systems is a precise orientation to the Sun. In this paper, the performance of single-axis solar trackers based on schedule and light dependent resistor (LDR) photosensors, as well as a stationary photovoltaic installation in various weather conditions, were compared. A comparative analysis of the operation of a manufactured schedule solar tracker and an LDR solar tracker in different weather conditions was performed; in addition, a simple method for determining the rotation angle of a solar tracker based on the encoder was proposed. Finally, the performance of the manufactured solar trackers was calculated, taking into account various weather conditions for one year. The proposed single-axis solar tracker based on schedule showed better results in cloudy and rainy weather conditions. The obtained results can be used for designing solar trackers in areas with a variable climate.

With the development of technologies and the growing need for accurate positioning inside buildings, the localization method based on Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) fingerprinting is becoming increasingly popular. Its popularity is explained by the relative simplicity of implementation, low cost and the ability to use existing wireless infrastructure. This review article covers all the key aspects of building such systems: from the wireless communication technology and the creation of a radiomap to data preprocessing methods and model training using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms. Specific recommendations are provided for each stage that can be useful for both researchers and practicing engineers. Particular attention is paid to such important issues as RSSI signal instability, the impact of multipath propagation, differences between devices and system scalability issues. In conclusion, the review highlights the most promising areas for further research. For smart cities, the approaches and recommendations presented in the review contribute to the development of urban services by combining indoor positioning systems with IoT platforms for automation, transport and energy management.

Today’s research on concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cells focuses on creating multi-junction semiconductor solar cells capable of withstanding high temperatures without losing their properties. This paper investigated silicon low concentrated photovoltaic (LCPV) devices using Fresnel lenses. The parameters of the silicon CPV cell were measured to simulate its operation based on a single-diode model with four and five parameters. The most optimal position of the Fresnel lens relative to the solar cell was shown, and the dependence of the CPV efficiency on the concentration ratio, incident solar power, and temperature was studied. Experiments on heating of a solar cell were conducted to build a model of heating of a solar cell under different solar radiation based on machine learning. Additionally, a cooling system was developed, and experiments were conducted for one LCPV cell. The resulting LCPV model was used to predict electrical power output and temperature change pattern using clear day data. Results of modeling show increase in generated energy by 27% compared with non-concentrated solar cells. Cooling system energy consumption was simulated, and the optimum cooling regime was determined. The proposed LCPV system can be used as a hybrid heat and electricity source, increase power generation, and does not require new solar cell production technologies.

Indoor localization of wireless nodes is a relevant task for wireless sensor networks with mobile nodes using mobile robots. Despite the fact that outdoor localization is successfully performed by Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, indoor environments face several challenges due to multipath signal propagation, reflections from walls and objects, along with noise and interference. This results in the need for the development of new localization techniques. In this paper, Long-Range Wide-Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology is employed to address localization problems. A novel approach is proposed, based on the preliminary division of the room into sectors using a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) fingerprinting technique combined with machine learning (ML). Among various ML methods, the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) model reached the most accurate results, achieving localization accuracies of 94.54%, 91.02%, and 85.12% across three scenarios with a division into 256 sectors. Analysis of the cumulative error distribution function revealed the average localization error of 0.384 m, while the mean absolute error reached 0.246 m. These results demonstrate that the proposed sectorization method effectively mitigates the effects of noise and nonlinear signal propagation, ensuring precise localization of mobile nodes indoors.

Wireless communication technologies (WSN) are pivotal for the successful deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT). Among them, long-range (LoRa) and long-range wide-area network (LoRaWAN) technologies have been widely adopted due to their ability to provide long-distance communication, low energy consumption (EC), and cost-effectiveness. One of the critical issues in the implementation of wireless networks is the selection of optimal transmission parameters to minimize EC while maximizing the packet delivery ratio (PDR). This study introduces a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm, Double Deep Q-Network with Prioritized Experience Replay (DDQN-PER), designed to optimize network transmission parameter selection, particularly the spreading factor (SF) and transmission power (TP). This research explores a variety of network scenarios, characterized by different device numbers and simulation times. The proposed approach demonstrates the best performance, achieving a 17.2% increase in the packet delivery ratio compared to the traditional Adaptive Data Rate (ADR) algorithm. The proposed DDQN-PER algorithm showed PDR improvement in the range of 6.2–8.11% compared to other existing RL and machine-learning-based works.