Increase the performance of a solar array 25% to 30%
Solar panels are typically mounted stationary although on larger solar array installations it makes sense to add a system that tracks the sun across the sky to increase the overall performance of the system significantly. Unfortunately, the majority of residential solar power systems are not on trackers because they increase the upfront cost of the solar power system and require maintenance costs because of the moving parts. There are two major type of solar photovoltaic trackers:
single axis – follows the sun’s azimuth but not its altitude
dual axis – follows the sun’s azimuth and altitude
Typically trackers are used in large utility scale or commercial solar panel installation, although I have heard of home very savvy homeowners who built their own tracking systems, but I have no idea how much performance they increased and the ease of operation of a home built tracking systems. When most people ask me if a tracking system is good for their home solar power system, I let people know that current tracking technology is not at a point in which it makes sense for smaller solar array installations.
The graph above shows the performance of the RayTracker by EI Innovations over a conventional fixed mount solar array. The company claims that there is no scheduled maintenance associated with their tracking system, that’s pretty impressive. Wouldn’t you say so?
