El Girasol, a two-axis photovoltaic (PV) tracker system of 9.6 kWp connected to the grid at the Campus of the University of Jaén in Southern Spain, has reached an average yield of 2092 kWh/kWp·year⁠. As far as it is known, it is one of the highest productivity data reported up to now in PV systems. This paper presents a description of the system and the working analysis during 2 years of operation. Related to the system behavior, the following performances are highlighted: global efficiency of 10.4%, performance ratio of 73.1%, a yield increase versus a fixed and ideally faced PV system of 45.8%, and high operation reliability with minimal maintenance needs.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Keywords:
tracking, grid-connected PV systems, energy performance, system performance, photovoltaic power systems, power generation reliability
Topics:
Generators, Photovoltaic power systems, Irradiation (Radiation exposure)
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 by American Society of Mechanical Engineers
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