Tilted single-axis trackers improve seasonal alignment, boosting winter output and stabilizing generation across the year
The design is gaining interest in captive and high-latitude projects, with some companies already offering commercial solutions
Increased structural complexity, higher wind exposure, and lower land-use efficiency continue to limit widespread adoption
The horizontal single-axis tracker has now almost become a widely accepted synonym for trackers. They track the sun from east to west, but miss the alignment with the seasonal change in the sun’s position. Dual-axis trackers can track the sun more precisely throughout the year, but their increased mechanical complexity and cost have limited widespread adoption. Between these 2 approaches lies the tilted single-axis tracker.
Tilted trackers represent a configuration in which the rotation axis is installed at a fixed inclination relative to the ground, rather than being fully horizontal. In simple terms, these are permanently tilted N-S tracker tables that track east-west but operate at a fixed inclination to boost seasonal yield in high-latitude regions. This design approach can improve energy yield by better aligning the tracker with the sun’s annual path. Although tilted trackers are not a new concept, commercial interest in the technology appears to be increasing. In the TaiyangNews Market Survey on Solar Trackers 2026, 3 participating companies report offering tilted-axis tracker solutions commercially.
According to Chintan Patel, CTO of Sunchaser, tilted-axis trackers can be advantageous in projects where maintaining consistent power output throughout the year is prioritized over maximizing total annual generation (summer peaks). This is particularly relevant for solar installations designed for captive consumption, where stability and predictability of supply across seasons may be more important than peak annual yield. The company offers tilted variants of its 1P and 2P configurations. The company offers 4 tracker variants: 1P horizontal (H-set), 1P 10° south-tilted (T-set), 2P horizontal (H-set), and 2P 10° south-tilted (T-set). A test conducted in Rajkot showed that the 1P H-set achieved an annual gain of around 15% compared to fixed-tilt, with winter gains near 5% and summer gains up to 25%. The 10° T-set delivered around 12% additional winter generation compared to the H-set and an annual gain of around 5-6%, according to Patel (see Tracker Drive Designs Depend On Cost And Structural Requirements).
ASUN, which mainly offers a new dual-axis tracking technology, is also offering tilted single-axis tracker products by simply removing the N-S rotation functionality. ASUN emphasizes that its solutions primarily benefit mid- and high-latitude sites. The company’s tilt tracker can be configured with tilt angles up to 50°. ASUN has also designed its trackers differently: unlike a typical tracker installed in N-S orientation with the tracker table rotating E-W, the modules in the ASUN tracker are mounted in a frame attached to the tracker, which rotates E-W, and the tracker is installed in E-W orientation.
TrinaTracker has also evaluated tilted trackers, but its initial impression is not favorable. According to YunHua (Kevin) Shu, Deputy Director of Product Management at TrinaTracker, field tests in northern China showed limited commercial viability. The tilted approach increases structural complexity and cost. It also exposes the tracker to higher wind loads and reduces the ground-coverage ratio due to larger spacing requirements. Trina considers the concept technically interesting but commercially niche, with limited prospects of being adopted in the mainstream.
The text is an edited excerpt from TaiyangNews’ Market Survey on Solar Trackers 2026, which can be downloaded for free here.