Efficiency Increase Of A Solar Tracker Vs A Fixed Panel

Typically fixed tilt systems require 4 5 acres per megawatt while tracking systems need 4 7 acres per megawatt.

Efficiency increase of a solar tracker vs a fixed panel.

Lastly tracking systems are more expensive to maintain over the 25 year life of a system. Possible types of installation can be shown on the picture. Trackers increase the production of a site by more than 15 to 25 over fixed tilt. In a world of rapidly decreasing prices for solar ppas increased power production is critical in helping project owners achieve a viable roi.

In a fixed form their efficiency is low since the panels will be tilted in a particular angle whereas in a tracking system the panel is made to move either in single axis or dual axis. The biggest benefit of a solar tracking system is that it offers a boost in electricity production. Other estimates say that solar panel trackers add between 25 and 45 percent to the efficiency of an average residential solar pv system. An additional 20 of acreage for tracking systems is a good rule of thumb for checking the economics.

So why exactly are we seeing this shift from fixed tilt to single axis trackers. A dual axis tracker bumps performance up by another five to 10 percent. There is a lot of information out in the world about the efficiency increases gained from using dual axis trackers. Because they follow the sun from dawn to dusk dual axis solar trackers can capture all of the day s solar potential resulting in up to 45 percent more energy than fixed solar.

Compared to a fixed mount solar panel a single axis tracker increases annual output by about 30 percent and a dual axis tracker an additional 6 percent. After the tracker came online we set up a number of fixed solar panels at different angles including one at 33 which is the optimum angle for our. Only x axis tracker only y axis tracker xy dual axis tracker and azimuth tracker systems during the design consider tracker system has higher initial investment cost than non tracking system and maintenance cost the biggest advantage is producing more energy in the same area tracker system designer says that up to 30 more energy.