An Experimental Study on the Angular Step of One-Axis PV Trackers and Its Impact on Energy Harvesting

Abstract

The photovoltaic module position related to the Sun greatly affects its power production due to the latter being dependent on the irradiation incidence. One-axis trackers are used to physically move the modules so they follow the Sun’s daily trajectory and hence increase energy harvesting. This paper investigates how relevant the actuating angular step of a one-axis tracker is concerning the daily and annual energy photovoltaic energy production. An east–west rotational axis with a fixed tilt angle is experimentally analyzed with four different steps: 2°, 5°, 10°, and 30° angular movements. Results are obtained over 1 year and compared to the energy production of a fixed mount photovoltaic module. Only a maximum difference of 1.68% is observed between the tracking strategies. The sky’s condition is also considered, where clear or mostly clear days (60.9% of the analyzed period) contributed to 78.8% of energy production.