LEDs as light detectors
Electronic

LEDs can also be used to detect light. Green LEDs are the best, however all LEDs will detect light and produce a voltage equal to the CHARACTERISTIC VOLTAGE-DROP, providing they receive sufficient light.

The current they produce is miniscule however high-bright and super-bright LEDs produce a higher output due to the fact that their crystal is more efficient at converting light into electricity.

The Solar Tracker project uses this characteristic to track the sun's movement across the sky.

SOLAR TRACKER

This circuit is a SOLAR TRACKER. It uses green LEDs to detect the sun and an H-Bridge to drive the motor.

A green LED produces nearly 1v but only a fraction of a milliamp when sunlight is detected by the crystal inside the LED and this creates an imbalance in the circuit to drive the motor either clockwise or anticlockwise.

The circuit will deliver about 300mA to the motor.

This design is called: LED5S5V Simplified LED low power tracker.