Optimization Study of Parasitic Energy Losses in Photovoltaic System with Dual-Axis Solar Tracker Located at Different Latitudes

Despite the sun-tracking system maximising the annual yield of solar power generation, the inevitable parasitic energy losses from the sun-tracking mechanism related to range of motion should be considered. This paper presents a systematic approach to investigate the annual accumulated parasitic energy losses in photovoltaic (PV) or concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system installed in a dual-axis solar tracker located at various locations with latitudes ranging from 45 degrees N to 45 degrees S. This approach allows the engineers to evaluate and to optimize the PV/CPV system performance by determining the least parasitic energy loss in the cases of fixed and non-fixed stow positions. The results show that the solar tracker with non-fixed stow position always has lower annual accumulated parasitic energy losses as compared to that of fixed stow position located in different latitudes. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.