Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes

Anderson, Kevin (ORCID:0000000211667957)

doi:10.1109/pvsc45281.2020.9300438

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Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes

Anderson, Kevin (ORCID:0000000211667957)

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Abstract

Many tracking PV systems avoid row-to-row shading by backtracking in morning and afternoon. Because the common single-axis backtracking implementation assumes the array is in a horizontal plane, it does not fully prevent row-to-row shading in arrays installed on cross-axis slopes, e.g. an east-west slope for a tracker with north-south axis alignment. This paper presents the simulated effect of reduced self-shading on annual production with two modified backtracking strategies. Depending on the array geometry and the steepness of the cross-axis grade, using a modified backtracking strategy improved annual yield by 3-10%.

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BibTeX RIS

Anderson, Kevin (ORCID:0000000211667957). 2021-01-05. Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes. https://doi.org/10.1109/pvsc45281.2020.9300438

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