Single Axis-solar Tracking (SAT) Racking
What is Single Axis-solar Tracking ?
It's Solar Racking that Rotates & Track the Sun on One Axis only, being East to West!
There are two types of Tracking algorithms that rotate the Solar Racking to follow the Sun as it moves through the sky from Sunrise to Sunset, being GPS & Radiation Tracking.
GPS Tracking is inferior to Radiation Tracking, as GPS Faces the Racking in the direction of the Sun when blocked by Clouds, where Radiation Tracking will automatically Rotates the Racking to face the Brightest area of the Sky until the Sun reappears.
Radiation Tracking is better suited to DART units, as DART Racking Generate up to 30% more Energy over 12 months than any SAT Racking, as shown in this video, and the Further South of the Equator a DART unit is installed, like Melbourne area, it will Generate Power from 5AM to 8PM.
Besides that there is the following SAT Racking types;
- Vertical Mast, Tilted Solar Panel Racking with (Azimuth Rotation), this looks like a DART unit, but only rotates in a circular motion from East to West, this SAT Racking Generates the most energy per Day.
- Horizontal beam with Tilted Solar Panels is the Racking that generates a little less energy.
- Horizontal beam with Flat Solar Panels is the common racking where the panels are flat to the ground & rotate vertically.
- Long-span or Linked Long-span Single-Axis Trackers can consist of hundreds of panels controlled by one mechanism that rotates all the panels uniformly from East to West on a single axis.
The single-axis can be oriented so that the cells are fixed & tilt to the Polar axis or lie flat called a Horizontal axis).
- Horizontal axis are more suitable for small latitudes (locations in the tropics and closer to the equator), i.e. most Northern parts of Australia.
- Polar axis (Azimuth) are more suitable for larger latitudes (further south of the equator), i.e. Victoria or Southern Australia.
The advantages of ground mounted Single Axis-solar Trackers (SAT) is, they are easier & less complicated to install, but use than Fixed Tilted ground mounted Racking, thus quicker & less expensive to install. The main difference is the long term energy generated, it is simply better than any Fixed Tilted Racking as can be seen in this graph, Solar trackers capture much more solar energy, in locations closer to the equator where the sun’s arc through the sky is less variable through the day and the seasons, single-axis trackers are particularly effective, but no where as good a Dual Axis-solar Tracking.
Performance of Fixed Flat Panels v Solar Trackers in Australia
All solar trackers increases the generated energy/performance of solar PV panels in the shoulder periods of the day, where a static fixed mount panel would only receive obscured sun exposure. This can be seen in the graphs of side by side solar tracking panels & static fixed pane.
Using Single Axis Tilted Racking with Azimuth rotational is considered the best all round, and even better if you can change the Tilt angle to suit the Latitude location several times a year, however it would be smarter to Install Dual Axis Tracking (DART) in the first place!
Single Axis Tracking Configurations
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Single-Axis Slew Bearing,
without Motor. |
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Bespoke Tilted Panel Rooftop Single Axis Solar Racking. |
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Horizontal Flat Panel Racking East/West Rotation. |
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Horizontal Flat Mounted Solar Panels with East/West Single Axis Rotation. |
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Looking from North, Fix Tilted Panels Horizontal Beams wit 96 panel span, with East/West Single Axis Rotation. |
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Looking from the West, Fix Tilted Panels on Horizontal Beams East/West Axis Rotation. |
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16 Panel, Tilted
Single Axis Racking. |
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Korean Flat Panel Single Axis Racking. |
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360 panel long-span Flat Single Axis Racking. |
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Crated DART Kits. |
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Crated DART Kits. |
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Palletised Solar Panels. |
NB: All Solar Arrays without Energy storage, will provide little return on investment using the 6~10 cents/kWh Retailer feed-in tariff, thus you will simply remained enslaved to the deceptively named electrical Retailers, by choosing to continue paying the retail price for power after sunset!
The purpose of Solar Tracking is to generate substantially more energy than common standard fixed flat or tilted panel arrays, by improving generation it also increases independence when solar is used with battery storage, it is inefficient sending your energy for the low feed-in tariff until your Energy storage is full, then if your power usage reduces &/or you are generating even more power via other methods like Aqua, Wind, or even Generating Green energy using Bio-Gas, then it is obviously that can easily be produced in your back yard via a Bio-Digester.
In early 2019 a leading Australian company Power Ledger started offer a Secure Direct Payment system between the Energy Producer (inc. farms with any green energy & storage) directly to Consumer, this offers a seamless Payment system that cuts out the middle man, the "Energy Retailer", this exciting business works for Remote locations & Urban people to take-up Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Energy Trading. read more... |