Our everyday life follows the sun's routine; so does our electricity use. But due to the limitations of the traditional electricity generation technologies, the grid cannot adjust immediately to changes in various applications. If we can introduce stable renewable energy generation technology to make up for the shortcomings of the grid, we can effectively solve the problem of electricity shortage. Hence, advanced solar trackers are one of the most important developments for solar power generation.
Summer Lo, chairman of Big Sun, proposed "Solar Power Generation and Electricity Supply Related Report" (reference 1). A solar tracker is a system that automatically tracks the position of the sun. In contrast to fixed systems, the solar tracker can effectively maximize the efficiency of solar power generation by pointing the PV modules to the sun at the best angle when there is sunlight.
Traditional trackers are single-axis systems with the axis of rotation and the motor both located on the center axis, which makes it hard to maintain, repair, control and install. Hence many power generation stations rather use fixed models and some even lock the single-axis solar tracker to make it a fixed system.
iPV Solar Tracker with universal axis is highly stable and can accommodate different kinds of harsh environment.
According to Lo, "The entire structure of iPV Solar Tracker with universal axis is lighter compared with single axis systems and the module structure allows easier access for repair. The universal axis solar tracker can horizontally track the sun's position at sunrise and sunset and vertically track the sun's angle. This allows the solar panels to point to the sun at the best angle and achieve maximum power generation efficiency."
Lo further explained Big Sun's iPV Solar Tracker with universal axis operates on a principle of balance using steel cables to control the angles of the solar panels. Compared with the single-axis systems that require powerful motors to make movements, the universal (dual) axis systems can save more energy yet offer higher accuracy in controlling the panels. The overall stability of the system can reach more than 99.9% compared to other universal axis systems in the market.
Furthermore, the best location to set up a solar power system is a place with ample sunlight. But usually these locations have harsh weather conditions. For example, locations at high latitudes face snow pile-up while those at low latitudes usually see heavy rains or desert storms.
However, iPV Solar Tracker with universal axis not only can track the angle of the sunlight but also adjust according to the local weather. For example, in places at higher latitudes, the system can automatically be set at a certain angle to prevent snow piling up. At the same time, it can be set to turn at regular intervals to clear off the snow on the ground to avoid obstruction to the system's operations. During rainstorms, the panels can be immediately tilted to prevent rainwater from accumulating into heavy pools that could damage the system. In desert areas where desert storms appear frequently, the solar panels can be adjusted to face the wind sideways to prevent the sands from scratching the panel surface.
Remote monitoring system allows easier management
iPV Solar Tracker with universal axis has a feature that brings conveniences to the monitoring team, namely the website interface monitoring system. Lo demonstrated using a tablet how the monitoring team could manage the solar systems in Europe through the Internet.
The monitoring system can also show the health of each piece of the equipment. Because most large-size projects are located in remote and sparsely populated areas, the automatic detecting and reporting features of the monitoring system allow the maintenance team to receive immediate alerts to problems and fix them.
iPV Solar Tracker with universal (dual) axis is far superior in power generation when the sunlight conditions fluctuate.
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