SOLAR TRACKERS
SOLAR TRACKERS- New Zealand designed and made here in Canterbury
Generally, modules are fixed at the optimum angle for their specific latitude. However, this is the angle optimized over the course of a year, and (depending on latitude) can vary by 30° as the sun appears lower or higher in the sky. Fixing PV modules at the optimum angle typically yields an improvement of around 15% compared with simply laying them flat. Trackers, on the other hand, adapt to both the daily passage of the sun and potentially the changing seasons too.
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Whatever the case, in any solar application the conversion efficiency is improved when the modules are continually adjusted to the optimum angle as the sun traverses the sky. As improved efficiency means improved yield, use of trackers can make quite a difference to the home owner for all seasons The development of feed-in tariffs and other similar support measures that reward PV producers per kilowatt hour delivered to the grid, has stimulated this growing interest in maximizing output from a given area, along with the relatively high prices for silicon-based PV modules that have been witnessed over recent years. With key economic drivers dictating that developers maximize system output, interest in tracking technology has soared. |
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| Solar gate tyracker- 12x 190 watt panels and sunny boy inverter | ||||
Types of trackers |
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There are two basic types of tracker system.
The numbers are latitude-dependent, but compared with modules fixed at the optimum angle, single-axis trackers typically increase electricity output by between 27%–32%. Meanwhile, dual-axis trackers typically add a further 6% on performance and see a 35%–40% improvement in output when compared to fixed panels. |
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| Solar gate tyracker- 12x 190 watt panels and sunny boy inverter | ||||
Single Axis trackers |
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Single-axis tracking is one of the most straightforward ways to improve the potential performance and economics of a commercial solar installation. By using relatively simple equipment, considerably more performance can be expected. Generally they rotate from east to west during the course of the day and are a fixed angle for the season, this also can be ajusted manually to help with seasonal movements. |
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Dual Axis trackers |
Tracker located in Geraldine South Canterbury | |||
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Dual axis trackers have two degrees of freedom that act as axes of rotation. These axes are typically normal to one another. The axis that is fixed with respect to the ground can be considered a primary axis. The axis that is referenced to the primary axis can be considered a secondary axis. These types of trackers are more automatic withy the seasonal changes and can adjust maximum power output of the array. |
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| Manual tracker you can adjust to suit yourself and the season |