Compare Fixed Panel And Tracking Panel Solar Panel

Lastly tracking systems are more expensive to maintain over the 25 year life of a system.

Compare fixed panel and tracking panel solar panel.

Single axis trackers follow the sun over the course of a day typically tilting from east to west and dual axis. 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. In many cases it is cheaper to install more solar panels to increase the system s energy output than it is to install a solar tracker. In the usa the annual improvement can range from 29 to 42 percent depending on the location and solar resource.

Tracker systems are the alternative of standard installation with a different variety. The maximum output of the panels is achieved when the panels are perpendicular to the sun s rays. In addition to a fixed tilt two types of solar panel exist that can track the sun. With a more complex system comes more maintenance which can add up in cost over time.

Typical land use for fixed pv can be 4 to 5 acres per megawatt while a. Tracking systems have a larger area footprint per megawatt so space constrained areas will be less attractive for trackers. And keith beisner field services manager and geotechnical testing expert for sunlink powercare. Tracked fixed pole top ground mount it is well known that if you compare identical arrays one fixed and the other tracked that the tracked array will annually outperform the fixed array.

This also leads to the second area of increased cost for solar tracking systems. By emily paris senior associate product manager for sunlink. While solar trackers will increase the solar panel system s energy production they are very expensive and can potentially double the cost of installing solar panels. Typically fixed tilt systems require 4 5 acres per megawatt while tracking systems need 4 7 acres per megawatt.

Most of the pv power plant designed fixed type of installation. In a fixed form their efficiency is low since the panels will be tilted in a particular angle whereas in a tracking system the panel is made to move either in single axis or dual axis. On the other hand it s also possible to produce more energy with the same quantity pv panels and inverters.