Benefits of Two-Axis Solar Trackers
- Maximized Power Output: Dual-axis trackers continuously adjust the solar panels on both horizontal (east-west) and vertical (north-south) axes, ensuring they face the sun directly throughout the day and across seasons. This precise alignment can increase solar energy production by approximately 40-50% compared to fixed panels, and around 20% higher than single-axis trackers.
- Optimal Sunlight Capture: By following the sun’s daily path and seasonal height changes, dual-axis trackers maintain a perpendicular orientation to sunlight, maximizing exposure even during mornings, evenings, and low-light conditions.
- Space Efficiency: Dual-axis trackers allow panels to be installed closer together by optimizing their tilt angles, which is beneficial where land or roof space is limited. This compact footprint can reduce land costs and enable installations in narrow or otherwise difficult-to-use areas.
- Higher Yield With Bifacial Panels: Elevated dual-axis trackers allow more reflected light to reach bifacial panels underneath, offering additional yield improvements often in the range of 18-22%, especially in high-albedo environments such as snowy regions.
- Flexible Land Use: Their height and design facilitate dual use of land below the panels for agriculture, grazing, or parking (carports), making them particularly valuable for agricultural and industrial settings where land use optimization is essential.
- Grid Management and Economic Payback: The increased and more consistent power generation helps with managing grid power limitations, potentially leading to quicker payback on investment despite higher upfront costs compared to fixed or single-axis systems.
Considerations
While dual-axis trackers deliver higher energy yields and excellent adaptability, they come with increased complexity, higher maintenance costs, and initially higher capital investment. They have more moving parts, which historically raised reliability concerns, but newer designs have improved uptime significantly (e.g., uptime claims as high as 99.9%).
Summary Table
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Energy Production Increase | Up to 40-50% more than fixed, 20% more than single-axis |
| Sunlight Exposure | Continuous optimal alignment with sun position |
| Space Utilization | Closer panel spacing and use in narrow or challenging sites |
| Bifacial Panel Boost | 18-22% extra yield due to increased reflected light |
| Land Dual-Use | Allows agriculture, grazing, or parking under panels |
| Grid and Economic Benefits | Better grid management, faster payback in ideal conditions |
| Reliability Improvements | Modern systems have enhanced uptime and performance guarantees |
In conclusion, two-axis solar trackers provide substantial advantages in maximizing energy yield and optimizing land use, making them especially suitable for high-value sites or where space is limited. However, their increased cost and maintenance requirements should be carefully weighed against the energy production benefits.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/are-there-any-benefits-to-using-a-two-axis-solar-tracker/
