A solar tracking motor system increases the amount of power produced by your solar system by rotating your panels to track the sun throughout the day, maximizing the angle at which your panels collect solar radiation. Solar trackers are commonly used mostly for surface solar panels as well as big, free-standing solar systems such as solar trees. They aren’t commonly employed in home solar projects, but they do have a position in utility-scale and commercial/industrial solar.
When solar panels are exposed to the sun, the angle at which the sun’s rays collide with the panel’s surface (known as the “angle of incidence”) impacts how successfully the panel converts the incoming light into power. The more energy a solar panel can produce, the smaller the angle of incidence. Solar trackers assist to reduce this angle by orienting panels so that light reaches them parallel to their surface.
Types of Solar Tracking Systems
The mode of motion of solar tracking panels can be used to classify them. A moving surface has three axes: two horizontal axis and one vertical axis. The surface may be adjusted (tilted) along each axis to get the optimal angle for gathering sunlight. Solar tracking systems are divided into two categories: single-axis and dual-axis.
Single-axis solar trackers
A single-axis tracker rotates your panels along a single axis, which is commonly north and south. These configurations allow solar panels to swing from east to west and follow the sun as it rises and sets, enhancing your system’s efficiency without the need for more solar panels. Despite their expensive upfront installation and ongoing maintenance costs, single-axis solar trackers may soon pay for themselves by increasing the efficiency of your solar system. Installing a single-axis tracking system on flat ground in a usually warm and dry environment is critical.
Dual-axis solar trackers
The panels may move in two axes, north-south and east-west, with a dual-axis tracker. This sort of system uses algorithms and sensors to detect seasonal fluctuations in the sun’s height as well as routine everyday movements to maximize your solar energy collecting throughout the year. Even among big, utility-scale projects, dual-axis trackers (produced by firms like All Earth Renewables) remain a considerably less common alternative for solar systems.
Best Motor for Solar Tracking System
Due to their exposure to sun and other factors, environmental protection is a crucial priority when it comes to electric motors for solar tracking applications. In solar tracking, you may incorporate scorching heat, gale winds, hailstorms, and blizzards, as well as virtual lasting realism. Motors for solar power applications should thus be designed to withstand high temperatures, extremely corrosive salt sprays, wind loads, humidity, and abrasive airborne particulate matter.
As solar power projects continue to expand, the use of motors with integrated cognitive capabilities becomes increasingly important. The motor types driving performance that can now be incorporated into the motor can enable communication among motors across a network, lowering the overall system cost and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). In solar power applications, there are many different types of motors to choose from.
- Stepper Motors
When elements for functioning in the closed-loop position control schemes that characterize solar tracking are integrated, these are not expensive, but they become complicated and lose certain economic advantages. The air gap in these motors is a fraction of that in other types of motors, which can induce rotor binding on the stator when there are substantial temperature differences between numerous motor elements, such as when one side of the motor is exposed to direct sunlight and the bottom is shaded. The stepper motor’s basic speed range is also limited on the high side to roughly 400rpm, which is inconvenient when stowing trackers quickly when the worst storms approach.
- Brushless DC (BLDC) Motors
Despite the fact that Brushless DC motors are the most often used in tracking systems today, they have a low TCO and require no maintenance. This motor has no-prone brushes, is extremely effective, and spins at approximately 3000rpm, which is a distinct advantage when a quick stowing time is required.
- Permanent Magnet Brush DC (PMDC) Motors
These motors are quite efficient, easy to operate, and, if well-constructed, may endure a long time, despite the commutator or brush wear that is necessary in their construction. They also have a wide speed range, which is advantageous in stowing situations.
- AC Induction Motors
These motors have been utilized in previous Solar Tracking Systems because they can draw electricity directly from the grid; however, AC motors are difficult to regulate at low speeds, which are necessary in most tracking applications. The most effective continuous collecting and monitoring of solar electricity is not possible when induction motors switch on and off in a step function to track the sun.
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