The Costs, Energy Efficiency, and Functionality of Solar Panel Trackers

In order to have an efficient solar system, it may be important to use a panel tracker to optimize your ability to capture the sun's energy. An automatic solar tracker allows your solar panels to follow the sun's daily path across the sky in order to get the maximum advantage. This is very beneficial for a pole mounted system, which is a flexible system that is easily adjusted to catch the sun's rays. Some people will argue that a panel tracker is not worth the money and that the increase in energy captured is negligible. Other people confirm that the cost of a solar tracker pays for itself with an increase of energy production because of its ability to get maximum benefit from the sun throughout the entire day.

If you purchase a custom built tracking device, it can nowadays often take months to get the product after ordering it. The panel tracker must be sized appropriately and installed for the number of modules you have, it is not readily changed to accommodate an expanding solar energy system. The tracker contains a sensor and a motorized unit so that you do not have to monitor the system in order for adjustments to be made. The sensor can read the movement of the sun and send a signal to the unit to tell the motors how much to move. By 'talking' to each other, the sensor and the motor can monitor the position of the sun and adjust the array to capture the sun's peak strength.

The decision about whether or not to buy a panel tracker often comes down to economic analysis. You can speak with a manufacturer and get an estimate regarding the increase in power production for your area. This information, combined with the cost of the unit, can help you analyze whether or not a panel tracker makes sense for your solar energy system.