as i learnt from my Renewable energies Course, planet Earth has one axis yes, but that axis is ~23º to a vertical plan with the sun, somehow you have to compensate right? that's why there is dual axis, one for the earth axis the other for to compensate the 23º.Just FYI, the Earth has only one axis. You don't really need two.
Are you claiming that adding the second axis to a solar tracker adds another 40% to their output? More like 5%. I see ~33% for the first axis and 5% for the second axis. If you manually adjust the elevation of your panels twice a year you can get most of that without motorizing the second axis.the percentage is not too high to consider. but we're talking about solar trakcers, which summer or winter it gives the panels maximum output. that's like around 40% more power from the panels during a day.
From adjusting for the season? No way. For one thing, I could aim in the middle and thus never be more than 11.5° off optimal. Would it ever be worth switching off of that? Maybe if the adjustment is dead easy. But there's no way it would be worth changing more than twice a year.~38% more power.
I find your views intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.Just FYI, the Earth has only one axis. You don't really need two.
No. At the equinoxes the altitude of the sun above the horizon is equal to 90º minus the latitude (if the latitude is 15º the sun is 75º above the horizon). Then it swings 23 higher and 23 lower over the course of the seasons. So for latitude 40º the altitude of the Sun will oscillate between 73º and 27º.For one thing, I could aim in the middle and thus never be more than 11.5° off optimal.
Really? How many have you seen in total?I have yet to see a solar panel installation where any tracking at all was used.
So what is it? Do or don't?So don't measure where the sun is, compute it and point at that.
Agreed, my mistake. It doesn't change my point that aiming at the middle comes darn close to optimal even with no changes. Changing with the seasons - not continuously - gets incrementally closer to optimal.Then it swings 23 higher and 23 lower over the course of the seasons.
For plants with alt/azimuth mounts, and it seems it is most of them, tracking is done on two axis anyway.Agreed, my mistake. It doesn't change my point that aiming at the middle comes darn close to optimal even with no changes. Changing with the seasons - not continuously - gets incrementally closer to optimal.