The sun’s trajectory, along with the angle of incident sunlight, changes continuously throughout the day and varies seasonally. Consequently, conventional fixed-tilt solar installations cannot harness sunlight optimally. To extract the maximum potential from a PV system within the given atmospheric limitations, it is imperative to ensure that sun rays consistently strike the solar panels at the right angles. This precision in capturing sunlight is achieved through a solar tracker, a loyal ‘sun-stalker’ that tirelessly adjusts the solar panels to face the sun at every angle from dawn to dusk and across seasons. This dynamic adjustment maximizes the exposure of the PV modules to sunlight, thereby significantly enhancing energy production.
For these reasons, solar trackers have evolved as crucial components of utility-scale solar applications, addressing the inherent insufficiencies of fixed installations. The growing importance of solar trackers is further emphasized by their compatibility with bifacial modules, which have become mainstream in utility-scale applications. This combination is bringing synergistic benefits to power production.
In recent years, the solar tracker landscape has witnessed substantial advancements. There are sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) driving these trackers now, which enable them to adapt dynamically to changing solar conditions. Beyond merely augmenting power production, trackers can also regulate generation patterns. This includes strategically adjusting the modules’ position to mitigate noon peaks and avoiding inter- row shading. Moreover, the latest generation of solar trackers showcases intelligent features, such as safe stowing, which minimize potential damage to the solar modules during extreme weather conditions such as hailstorms. These advancements underscore the critical role of trackers not only in maximizing energy output but also in optimizing system resilience and reliability.
TaiyangNews has been following the developments of trackers through the previous 2 editions of market surveys on solar trackers and virtual conferences on related subjects. This 3rd edition of the TaiyangNews Market Survey on Solar Trackers 2024 extends our coverage to provide a comprehensive overview of the important developments in the tracker segment, from noteworthy technological improvements to emerging trends and a detailed product showcase.
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