Investigating the potential of solar trackers in renewable energy integration to grid

Abstract

Over the years, there has been a continued effort aimed at enhancing the energy output of PV panels. One of such innovations is in the use of solar trackers to improve the overall performance and efficiency of solar systems. This paper presents a critical review of various types of solar tracking systems, highlighting their key characteristics, merit, and demerits. In addition, a prototype double axis solar tracker was developed and tested. The results show the power output of the prototype double axis solar tracker to be 30.5% higher than that of a fixed PV system, also an increase in efficiency from 35.91% to 45.45% was observed. Finally, the research reveals that a double-axis solar tracked PV system in Nigeria will deliver an estimated 823,150,000Wh more energy than PV system without the use of solar tracker in the long term, which further justifies the importance of solar trackers in renewable energy integration to grid.