Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Vol. 26, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 1~8

ISSN: 2502-4752, DOI: 10.11591/ijeecs.v26.i1.pp1-8  1

Electricity generation from renewable energy based on

abandoned wind fan

Arni Munira Markom1, Muhammad Hakimi Aiman Hadri1, Tuah Zayan Muhamad Yazid1,
Zakiah Mohd Yusof1, Marni Azira Markom2,3, Ahmad Razif Muhammad4
1
School of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Johor, Malaysia
2
Faculty of Electronic Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia
3
Advance Sensor Technology, Centre of Excellence, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia
4
Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: In the 21st century, our world is facing difficult conditions for serious
environmental pollution and the problem of energy shortage. An innovative
Received Sep 2, 2021 idea has emerged to recycle wind energy from air conditioning condenser
Revised Jan 18, 2022 fans in outdoor buildings. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to
Accepted Feb 4, 2022 develop renewable wind energy from the condenser fan of an air conditioner
using Arduino as a microcontroller. This research moves towards a portable,
low cost, environmentally friendly mini device that harnesses renewable
Keywords: energies with endless resources for future alternative power generation and
reduces the burden of consumers' electricity bills.
Arduino project
Electric circuit
Electricity generation
Renewable energy
Wind energy This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.

Corresponding Author:
Arni Munira Markom
School of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Johor, Malaysia
Email: arnimunira@uitm.edu.my

1. INTRODUCTION
A renewable energy is energy produced from natural sources to replace the shrinking and dangerous
fossil fuels. Ahmad et al. stated that over 90% of fossil fuels are greenhouse gases released through carbon
dioxide emissions [1]. The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases is what causes the temperature rise
in the atmosphere, known as global warming. Then this hot temperature will melt the polar ice, causing sea
level rise on land and climate change worldwide [2], [3]. As a result, renewable energy has received
tremendous attention in most countries for its environmentally friendly, reasonable cost, abundance of natural
sources, efficiency, and practical uses [4]–[6]. Even if the system faces many challenges to be used on a large
scale, especially in the third country, and limited technology experts, this renewable energy emerges over the
years. Wind source is one of the renewable energies. Wind is an occasional source of energy that, due to its
fluctuating nature, hinders the system, but is still a sustainable and natural source [7], [8]. This energy is
required by a wind turbine in order to generate kinetic energy from the rotation of the turbine. Then it is
converted into electrical energy by a converter, which can be stored and used for many electrical appliances.
Compared to other energy sources, a wind turbine has the lowest impact on the environment because it can
avoid air or water pollution from emissions from the water-cooling process [9]. As a result, it can generate
safe electrical energy without the need for fossil fuels by reducing the severe air pollution and the release of
carbon dioxide.

Journal homepage: http://ijeecs.iaescore.com

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The consumers of air conditioners (air conditioners) in homes or large buildings are increasing due
to the hot weather in Malaysia. The free and abandoned wind source from the air conditioner condenser fan
outside the home or building is something we can offer to add more benefit to renewable energy use. In
addition, large consumers of air conditioning systems suffer from high electricity bills, especially in
Malaysia, due to the high-power consumption of the air conditioning system itself. Meanwhile, traditional
wind systems suffer from a huge and heavy wind turbine and high acquisition costs for the construction of
the wind turbines.
There are many renewable energy projects around the world that use wind as a natural source of
electricity, for example in Poland, India, Kenya, Brazil and Netherlands [10]–[14]. China is now the largest
producer of wind energy [15]. The main reason for these countries to recycle wind as energy because they
have large open land areas, they can by and large implement their gigantic wind turbines on their land. In this
article we will only focus on writing a literature review based on Arduino for your wind turbine projects. In
the paper, Mahmuddin et al. developed a wind generator that uses Arduino as a microcontroller and is able to
control the overload voltage [16]. The charge controller with controller relay to increase the heating and
power generator safety during the charging process. However, this application of the charge controller is
unsuccessful because of the strong stability of the power delivery of the alternating current (AC) ventilator,
and therefore the system does not exceed the charge voltage.
A small Arduino MEGA-based wind power generation system was developed by Mubarok et al.
using a 3-blade wind turbine [17]. A rotating rotor blade speed, wind speed, wind direction and voltage
generated by the direct current (DC) generator were measured and analyzed. The mechanical energy from
wind turbines was then converted into electrical energy and stored in a battery. An inexpensive and portable
electric generator that uses wind and water sources and is used solely as a replacement for a power bank to
charge a cell phone, by Ramli et al. [18]. A wind and water generator were used to generate electricity to
charge the cellphone with an Arduino as the project's microcontroller. A liquid crystal display (LCD) was
used to show the voltage generated when the cell phone was being charged by the system.
In the paper, Patil et al. [19] designed a hybrid power generation with an Arduino as a
microcontroller using wind and water energy for rural agricultural areas, as shown in Figure 1. The wind and
waterpower will turn a single turbine and then convert the energy sources into electrical energy that is stored
in a battery. A global system for mobile communication (GSM) module is connected to the Arduino to send
soil moisture information and enable control of the on- and off-water controller system via smartphone.
However, the turbines cause noise pollution and the system are also inefficient and not very stable, without
mechanical components being used in real operation. Another hybrid energy project based on Arduino Uno
with wind and photovoltaics is being carried out by Restu et al. [20] demonstrated. The Arduino is used to
synchronize pulse width modulation (PWM) output, define battery capacity, control wind and photovoltaic
systems, and display information on the liquid crystal display (LCD). A voltage sensor is used to determine
the output voltage, a relay to control the flow of current and a buck converter circuit to reduce the voltage to
the desired level.
Therefore, the main goal of this project is to develop a portable and inexpensive renewable energy
capable of generating electricity from a wind source from an air conditioning condenser fan outside the user's
home or buildings. An Arduino MEGA serves as the brain of the project to control the renewable energy
system. This Arduino is a formidable microcontroller that has successfully developed many technology
products under development such as robots, intelligent farming systems, and internet of things (IoTs) based
projects [21]–[26]. In addition, the second goal is to use this renewable energy of power generation for small
household appliances. The electricity is transmitted to the house or buildings to reduce the electricity bill of
the users who are appropriate, such as. B. Cell phones, power banks and many small electronic devices.

2. METHOD
Illustratively, Figure 1 is a flowchart showing the wind electricity generation system flowchart
based on condenser fan air-conditioning wind sources. When the air-conditioning is turned on, the wind from
the condenser fan is spinning at outside home and buildings. Then the wind will move the prototype's turbine
which is connected to the Arduino system. It is converted from kinetic energy to electrical energy and sent to
a DC motor generator to store and charge a battery. Once the battery is at full capacity, a load such as a small
electrical appliance can be connected to provide the power. A liquid crystal display (LCD) shows either the
battery when the air conditioning is off and the wind turbine when the air conditioning is on. The system will
turn off when the air conditioner is turned off.

Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci, Vol. 26, No. 1, April 2022: 1-8
Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci ISSN: 2502-4752  3

Figure 1. Wind electricity system flowchart

Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the system. The input is the wind from an air conditioning
condenser fan that is passed through a DC motor generator. This generator is connected to an Arduino
MEGA, which acts as a microcontroller to power the entire system. Then the output consists of light-emitting
diodes (LEDs), which are used to define charging (green LED) and to stop charging (red LED), and a USB
output as a connection to electrical devices such as mobile phones, power banks and lamps.

Figure 2. Block diagram of the system

Figure 3 is the software code for the wind turbine. In this code, int input is used to read the Arduino
analog pin that is connected to analog pin A1. The float fan for calculating the electricity produced by the
wind turbine. An option if and if you can choose a fan with more than 1.5 V or less. The first option with
1.5 V for determining the air conditioning is switched on by a user. When the wind turbine is then started to
generate power from the air conditioning fan, the kinetic movement sends a notification to Arduino to display
wind turbine on the LCD display. This indicator indicates that the operating system is currently using
electrical energy from the wind turbine or the air conditioning condenser fan. The second choice is when the
air conditioning is off in the user's home. The Arduino will not detect any power being generated and will

Electricity generation from renewable energy based on abandoned wind fan (Arni Munira Markom)
4  ISSN: 2502-4752

notify the LCD display with the word Battery, indicating that the USB charger and LED are currently
running on power from the battery.
Figure 4 shows the circuit of the simulation project. For the LCD connection to the Arduino, the
LCD pin Vss is connected to ground on the Arduino and the Vdd pin on the LCD which is connected to the
5 V source on the Arduino to provide power to the LCD. Pin RS, RE, D4, D5, D6, and D7 on the LCD
connected to the Arduino to control the output that will be displayed on the LCD. In the meantime,
connection for wind turbine to Arduino Uno and output LED and USB charger. It can be seen from the
diagram that the 5 V battery is directly connected to the normally closed relay that is connected to the output
LED and USB charger. When the wind turbine is in operation, the Arduino will detect the current through
digital input A1 and automatically activate the relay to switch to the normally open and output LED and the
USB charger will be powered by the wind turbine.

Figure 3. Coding for wind turbine

Figure 4. Simulation project circuit

Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci, Vol. 26, No. 1, April 2022: 1-8
Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci ISSN: 2502-4752  5

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The idea of this project is to use a wind source, a kinetic energy from the condenser fan of an air
conditioner that is normally abandoned outside of homes and buildings. A permanent capacitor working as a
generator is connected to a wind turbine and enables the conversion of kinetic or mechanical energy into
electrical energy. Then the current is sent directly to a charge controller to manage the voltage and power an
Arduino and DC load. The inputs and outputs of the DC load are controlled by the Arduino microcontroller
as shown in Figure 5. The charging voltage is then stored in a rechargeable battery.

Figure 5. Prototype of the proposed project

Figure 6 is an LCD display to show the notification to the user. Figure 6(a) shows the condition
when the air conditioner is switched off by the user, the wind turbine does not work and the LCD shows
‘Battery’, which is indicated by the output LED and the USB charger that is currently being fed by the
battery. Meanwhile, Figure 6(b) shows the condition when the air conditioner is on, the wind turbine is
generating power, and the LCD displays ‘Wind Turbine’, which indicates the output LED and USB charger
that are currently powered by the wind turbine. Figure 7 shows the implementation of the prototype on a real
air conditioning fan. The prototype was developed to enable mobility without affecting the functionality of
the wind turbine. The front of the prototype shows the LCD display, while the back of the prototype has the
wind turbine to rotate and generate electricity.

(a) (b)

Figure 6. The LCD display: (a) when wind turbine is not operating and (b) when wind turbine is operating

Table 1 is the results of time versus voltage charging at 10-minute intervals 12 V is generated after
15 minutes, followed by 12.93 V, 13 V, and 13.04 V every 10 minutes. After 45 minutes, the voltage no
longer rises because the maximum electrical charge on this prototype is 13.04 V. These 13.04 V and always
rechargeable are sufficient for the use of small household appliances such as lamps, fans, kettles, for charging
smartphones, and laptops.

Electricity generation from renewable energy based on abandoned wind fan (Arni Munira Markom)
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Figure 7. The prototype attached on the air-conditioning ventilator

Table 1. Time taken versus amount of charged voltage

Time (minutes) Charged voltage (V)
15 12
25 12.93
35 13
45 13.04

4. CONCLUSION
A wind source from an air conditioning fan that was abandoned outside of our home is successfully
recycled to generate electricity using an Arduino microcontroller. The maximum voltage generated is 13.04
V at 45 minutes, which is sufficient for small devices at home or in the office. Wind energy is a sustainable,
renewable energy and, in contrast to burning fossil fuels, has less of an impact on the environment. This will
lead to more research, such as implementing the internet of things (IoTs) and big data on remote controlled
and monitored data to replace traditional non-renewable energy for centuries.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work is supported by Ministry of Education (MoE) Malaysia under grant 600-IRMI/FRGS-
RACER 5/3 (107/2019).

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BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS

Arni Munira Markom is Senior Lecturer at the School of Electrical

Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 81750 Masai, Johor,
Malaysia. She received her PhD in Electronics (Photonics Engineering) from Universiti
Malaya, Malaysia in 2016. She previously had a Masters in Microelectronics from Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia and a Bachelor of Electronics (Computer Engineering) from Universiti
Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Malaysia. Her research areas are photonics technology, fiber
lasers, fiber sensors and electrical engineering including microcontrollers and IoT devices.
She can be contacted at email: arnimunira@uitm.edu.my.

Muhammad Hakimi Aiman Hadri is graduan from the School of Electrical

Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 81750 Masai, Johor,
Malaysia on last 2021. He received his Diploma in Electrical Engineering major in
Electronics. He demonstrates his excellence in science and sports and has a keen interest in
Electrical Engineering. Now, he is pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Universiti Teknologi
MARA in Electrical Engineering. He can be contacted at email: mhkimi1657@gmail.com.

Tuah Zayan Muhamad Yazid is graduan from the School of Electrical

Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 81750 Masai, Johor,
Malaysia on last 2021. He received his Diploma in Electrical Engineering major in
Electronics. Recently, he continued his studies in Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering
at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia. He can be contacted at email:
tuahzayan@gmail.com.

Electricity generation from renewable energy based on abandoned wind fan (Arni Munira Markom)
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Zakiah Mohd Yusoff is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Electrical

Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Kampus Pasir Gudang Johor, Malaysia. She
received her PhD in control systems from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University
Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Malaysia in 2014. Previously, the bachelor’s degree of
Engineering B.A. Awards was obtained in 2009 from the Universiti Teknologi MARA. She
has authored or co-authored more than 25 journals, 35 proceedings, with 8 H-index in
Scopus. Her research interests include control system, system identification, modeling,
artificial neural network (ANN) and internet of thing (IoTs). She can be contacted at email:
zakiah9018@uitm.edu.my.

Marni Azira Markom received the PhD, MSc., BEng. (Hons.) in Biomedical &
Computer Engineering from Universiti Malaysia Perlis. Her research area is Mobile Robot
Localisation, Signal Processing & Artificial Intelligence, Recycling System. She has more
than 35 journals and 5 H-index continuous publications in Scopus. She is a Senior Lecturer in
the Department of Electrical Engineering at Universiti Malaysia Perlis and a member of
Advance Sensor Technology, Center of Excellene at the same university. She can be
contacted by email: marni@unimap.edu.my.

Ahmad Razif Muhammad received his B.Eng. (Hons) in Mechanical

Engineering from the University of Malaya; M. Phil in Photonics Engineering from the
University of Malaya; and PhD in Electrical Engineering (Photonics) in University of
Malaya. His doctoral thesis focuses on short pulse fiber laser based on pure metal saturable
absorber. Currently a research fellow at Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics
(IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia. His research interests include
NIR fiber laser, ultrafast fiber laser, nanofiber for optical sensing. He can be contacted by
email: a.razif@ukm.edu.my.

Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci, Vol. 26, No. 1, April 2022: 1-8