Compare Fixed Panel And Tracking Panel Solar Panel

And keith beisner field services manager and geotechnical testing expert for sunlink powercare.

Compare fixed panel and tracking panel solar panel.

Typical land use for fixed pv can be 4 to 5 acres per megawatt while a. 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. Most of the pv power plant designed fixed type of installation. Tracker systems are the alternative of standard installation with a different variety.

With a more complex system comes more maintenance which can add up in cost over time. 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 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. An additional 20 of acreage for tracking systems is a good rule of thumb for checking the economics.

Tracking systems have a larger area footprint per megawatt so space constrained areas will be less attractive for trackers. In addition to a fixed tilt two types of solar panel exist that can track the sun. This also leads to the second area of increased cost for solar tracking systems. In the usa the annual improvement can range from 29 to 42 percent depending on the location and solar resource.

The maximum output of the panels is achieved when the panels are perpendicular to the sun s rays. This research is an empirical financial assessment of the benefit of using a dual axis sun tracker versus a fixed flat position as well as a comparison of the performance of the two panels under such settings. By emily paris senior associate product manager for sunlink. Lastly tracking systems are more expensive to maintain over the 25 year life of a system.

On the other hand it s also possible to produce more energy with the same quantity pv panels and inverters. 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.