Fixed Solar Panels Vs Tracking

Most of the pv power plant designed fixed type of installation.

Fixed solar panels vs tracking.

Tracker systems are the alternative of standard installation with a different variety. An additional 20 of acreage for tracking systems is a good rule of thumb for checking the economics. One factor involves the light reception angles at the panels in which the intensity of the received solar radiation from the sun at the earth is affected significantly by the diurnal and seasonal movement of the earth. That increases the installed cost for a tracked pv system from 8 63 to 9 96 per dc watt.

A solar tracker will cost more money up front than a fixed solar panel system because it is a more complex technology and has moving parts. The performance of photovoltaic panels depends on many factors. The roi of a pv tracker vs. Fixed pv systems when it comes to cost the difference between fixed solar whether it be roof or ground mount and solar tracker systems generally comes down to whether you want to spend less money up front or save considerably more over the life system.

This also leads to the second area of increased cost for solar tracking systems. Typical land use for fixed pv can be 4 to 5 acres per megawatt while a. So why exactly are we seeing this shift from fixed tilt to single axis trackers. Typically fixed tilt systems require 4 5 acres per megawatt while tracking systems need 4 7 acres per megawatt.

Trackers increase the production of a site by more than 15 to 25 over fixed tilt. Lastly tracking systems are more expensive to maintain over the 25 year life of a system. The variety of trackers available from manufacturers like allearth solar and first sunergy makes it possible to find a unit that s just right for your needs. Tracking systems have a larger area footprint per megawatt so space constrained areas will be less attractive for trackers.

Compared to a fixed mount the additional cost per watt or premium to track is 1 33 per watt 2 24 0 91. The maximum output of the panels is achieved when the panels are perpendicular to the sun s rays. In a world of rapidly decreasing prices for solar ppas increased power production is critical in helping project owners achieve a viable roi. On the other hand it s also possible to produce more energy with the same quantity pv panels and inverters.

Benefits of fixed pv systems.