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Solar Tracker. What is it, what is it for? Types of solar trackers.

Update time : 2018-11-16 23:11:22

What is a solar tracker?

A solar tracker is a device that is inserted into a set of photovoltaic panels that go towards the Sun to take advantage of its light and generate energy.

The idea is to be able to tilt the solar panels in the direction in which the Sun "moves" throughout the day and, therefore, throughout the year as seasons and weather change.
What is the use of a solar tracker?

The use of solar trackers can increase electricity production by around 30% to 40% in some regions, compared to fixed solar panels. In any application of solar energy, the efficiency of the conversion is improved when the modules are adjusted continuously according to the angle of the Sun "while moving in the sky". As efficiency improves, performance improves. The use of followers can make a big difference in the income of a large plant. Therefore, on a commercial scale, a solar tracker is being added to the solar installations.
How does a solar tracker work?

The followers direct the panels or modules to where the Sun is located. These devices change direction during the day to follow the path of the Sun and maximize the energy that is captured.

In the photovoltaic systems, the followers help to minimize the angle of incidence, that is to say the angle that a ray of light creates with a line perpendicular to the surface, between slewing drive the light that enters and the panel, which increases the amount of energy that the system produces.

Photovoltaic solar concentrators and heat collectors are optically designed to directly accept sunlight, so solar trackers must be adjusted correctly to collect energy. All solar concentrator systems have followers to capture more solar energy.
Types of solar trackers that exist

    Solar trackers with two axes.
        They allow the slewing drive panels to move in two directions, instead of just one, which means a greater obtaining of energy from the Sun because there is a greater range of positioning. Dual followers are typically used to indicate a mirror and redirect sunlight to a stationary receiver.
    Solar trackers of an axis.
        They rotate in a single axis that moves again and again in only one direction. These, in turn, are divided into: horizontal, vertical, inclined, polar, which rotate as indicated by its name.

Solar trackers can also be classified according to the drivers that indicate their movement:

    Passive followers
        They depend completely on solar heat to guide and move the follower. Basically, a gaseous fluid at a low boiling point is directed from one side to the other to move the follower as a rise and fall; this in response to the imbalance created by the Sun's heat.

    Active followers
        They use a controller that monitors the position of the Sun's movement for the purpose of directing the motors that move the follower.

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