Abstract

Horizontal single axis tracking (HSAT) solar arrays are now prevalent in the solar industry due to the potential energy output increase of up to 30% over fixed arrays [1]. This study addresses the effect of skewed topography on HSAT arrays. Specifically, the study will investigate the optimization of the tracking algorithm to maximize energy output, balancing tracking and interrow shading losses. This is accomplished using a 3-D model of the array to predict the expected interrow shading and a power generation model that estimates the lost power at any instant due to the predicted shading. An optimization routine is run changing the input parameters fed to the tracking software to ultimately optimize the energy production of the array. A case study utilizing one zone of the Gold Tree Solar Array on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Figure1) demonstrated a potential 8% energy generation increase annually over a system set to default settings.

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