Do you know how solar PV panels are placed to get the best exposure to sunlight? It’s all thanks to solar trackers that follow the sun’s path throughout the day! Solar tracking systems regulate the direction so that a solar panel is always aligned with the sun’s position. Surprisingly, positioning the panels perpendicular to the sun allows them to receive additional sunlight. As less light is reflected, the panels trap more solar energy. The narrower the angle of incidence, the more electricity a solar PV panel can create. The most common use of solar tracking systems is to align solar photovoltaic panels perpendicular to the sun. It also helps to locate space telescopes.

What is a Solar Tracking System?

A solar tracking system (a sun tracker or sun tracking system) increases your solar system’s power production by relocating your panels to follow the sun throughout the day, optimising the angle at which your panels collect solar radiation. Solar trackers are typically used for ground-mounted solar panels and big, free-standing solar installations such as solar trees; they are not commonly employed in domestic solar projects.

Source: Research Gate

Let’s look at the different types of solar trackers and see how each one works to maximize energy production:

Single-Axis Solar Tracker: Imagine your solar panels following the sun like a sunflower, from the first light of dawn to the last glow of dusk. A single-axis solar tracker does just that, moving your panels from east to west as the day progresses. This simple yet effective movement significantly boosts the amount of solar energy captured throughout the day, ensuring you get the most out of your solar setup.

Dual-Axis Solar Tracker: Take solar tracking to the next level with a dual-axis solar tracker, which offers 360-degree flexibility by moving in two directions: east to west and north to south. This allows your panels to follow the sun’s journey across the sky all year round, adjusting to seasonal changes and optimizing energy output no matter where you are. It’s like having a solar system that’s always in the perfect spot, ensuring consistent and reliable performance in every climate.

Active Solar Tracking Systems: Active solar trackers are like the smart assistants of the solar world. They use a bit of energy to power motors that precisely tilt the panels, always finding the sunniest spot in the sky. Equipped with light sensors, these systems automatically adjust to the optimal angle, making them ideal for large, complex solar arrays where maximizing energy production is crucial.

Passive Solar Tracking Systems: Passive solar trackers are the sun-chasers that work without needing any extra energy. They cleverly use the sun’s heat to warm up a gas inside, which expands and shifts the panels toward the light. As the day cools, the gas contracts and the panels gently reset, ready to catch the first rays of the next sunrise. Perfect for smaller or remote installations, these trackers offer a low-maintenance, energy-efficient solution to following the sun.

Also Read: Carbon Footprint Of Solar Panel Manufacturing

Are Solar Tracking Systems Worth it?

A solar tracking system can be helpful for installations set up in areas with acceptable solar energy accessibility. You should consider installing a solar tracker so that your panels can receive sunlight throughout the day. Solar tracking may significantly boost power output in both ground-mounted and roof-mounted setups. However, these gadgets are only suitable for some solar panel setups. Before deciding on solar tracking, consider climate, space, and shading.

Solar tracker devices are suitable for installations with limited space and high energy requirements. Because of the sun’s yearly movements, these tracking systems are most beneficial for installations in high-latitude areas. Solar tracking systems are also frequently used in large commercial projects. Depending on the climate and location of the installation, solar trackers can be extremely useful.

Also Read: Are Q Cell Solar Panels Good? Analyzing Efficiency, Reliability, And Value For Homeowners

What are the Methods of Solar Tracking?

When solar panels are subjected to sunlight, the angle that occurs when the sun’s rays meet the solar panel’s surface (known as the “angle of incidence”) impacts how effectively the panel converts the sunlight that enters into electricity. The shorter the incidence angle, the greater the energy a solar panel can generate. Solar trackers seek to reduce this angle by orienting panels so light hits them perpendicularly to their surface.

Passive trackers rely entirely on solar heat to direct and move the tracker. The tracker is moved by a low boiling point compressed gas fluid in response to the sun’s heat imbalance. Active trackers use controllers to direct motor movement based on sun position. As sensor components, light-dependent resistors (LDRs) are employed in active solar trackers. The disparity in output is utilised to create error signals. A processor uses time/date and geographical information to calculate the sun’s position and send signals to the motor orientation.

High-end solar trackers also include a feedback system that sends the output signal of various processes back as input to the system under control. As a result, faults can be corrected and system disruptions compensated for.

What Sensors are used in Solar Tracking?

Solar tracking systems are designed to adjust the orientation of solar panels to follow the sun’s movement across the sky, maximizing energy capture. Here’s a breakdown of how these systems work and the sensors involved in different tracking mechanisms.

Single-Axis Trackers

Single-axis trackers are used to align solar panels, parabolic troughs, or linear Fresnel collectors from east to west in a north-south direction. Depending on the required tracking accuracy, various sensors are used:

1. Inductive Sensors

• Function: These sensors are often mounted on electric linear actuators to provide position feedback.
• Advantages: They are low-cost and typically come as standard components with the actuators.

2. Inclination Sensors

• Function: Positioned directly on the rotating shaft, these sensors provide angle feedback (commonly used in linear Fresnel plants).
• Challenges: Since inclinometers are mounted on moving parts, the cables can wear out over time, potentially leading to failure.

3. Magnetic Tape Systems

• Function: Used as rotary encoders in parabolic trough plants, a magnetic tape wraps around the shaft, and a sensor head is mounted on the tracker’s frame.
• Advantages: This system offers precise position feedback without wear, ensuring high-end tracking capabilities.

Dual-Axis Trackers

Dual-axis trackers are employed to position concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) panels, parabolic reflectors (dishes), and mirrors (heliostats). These systems are critical in applications requiring high precision, such as central receiver plants.

1. High-Accuracy Requirements

Central Receiver Plants: These plants require high temperatures and must focus a large amount of sunlight on a central receiver located atop a tower in the middle of a heliostat field.

2. Position Feedback Systems

Elevation and Azimuth Axes: Two feedback systems are needed because dual-axis trackers have both azimuth (horizontal rotation) and elevation (vertical rotation) axes.

Inclinometers: These sensors can calculate the elevation angle but cannot determine the azimuth position.

Rotary Encoders: Embedded rotary encoders directly on the drive can be used for position determination, though backlash may affect accuracy.

Magnetically Coded Measurement Systems: These systems, installed on the azimuth and elevation axes, provide the most accurate direct position feedback, which is crucial when heliostats are located far from the central receiver.

In conclusion, a solar tracker aligns the solar panels at an angle to the sun. It is an innovative sun-tracking device that uses rotating panels to track the sun’s passage across the sky. It allows the panel system to capture the most sunlight and maximise energy output. Using a solar energy tracker has several advantages.

Also Read: Do You Need A Charge Controller For Solar Panels?