Is Solar Tracking Worthwhile?

[British Red]

For those of us who enjoy brights, solar panels and all things geeky!

I have recently the opportunity to test out possibly the ultimate portable solar unit with a folding panel, multiple charging options (from power station to 12V battery) and the ability to track the sun

Fascinating and fun - but economically worthwhile?

 

[Nomad666]

No very little gain

 

[British Red]

That certainly wasn't my findings. It achieved a 50% increase at certain times if day and 25% overall

 

[Buckshot]

Would any gain depend on latitude as well?

 

[British Red]

Would any gain depend on latitude as well?

Interesting thought. I suspect yes and season too.

 

[Kadushu]

When I looked into it there were simple ones that move through the day but you have to position them correctly, i.e. they don't actually know where the sun is, and others that use light sensors to actively follow the sun. You'd think the latter would be better but on a cloudy day they may hunt around for the brightest part of the sky and end up pointing the wrong way as the sun breaks through in different places. Ultimately I concluded that simplicity is best and if there's space for them then more panels would be more robust, less hassle, etc. Cost is a bit open ended but on an overcast day more panels are better than a tracking system. On a sunny day the tracker might win. For the product you've reviewed, at such a premium price, I think your conclusions are spot on. Narrow boats would be another good use case for a tracker.

 

[TLM]

Years ago I did a simulation with relevant data. At our latitude around midsummer one would get around double compared to stationary panel. At mid winter no difference, not that it would make any difference as the output is next to nothing any way.

 

[Glow_worm]

Narrow boats would be another good use case for a tracker.

Simplicity and ruggedness are important on the canals if the boat moves anywhere at all- most boats don't even bother with pivot mounted panels, and just keep them flat on the roof. Overhanging tree branches, bridges etc.... And with large domestic sized panels so cheap these days (410W new for £55 for example) it's easier just to add another panel if there is room.

A lot of work on developing trackers was done 20-25 years ago, back in the days when a Shell 75W panel cost the equivalent of hundreds of pounds. Even in fixed/domestic situations they never really caught on, the complexity/cost/maintenance makes it all too borderline for most.

I can see the appeal of the idea for small portable camping type setups where panels have relatively small outputs, and numbers are limited by portability considerations- but in the real world what works best in the great outdoors is rugged, simple, as little faff as possible... and a tracker sturdy enough to handle real wind is going to be heavy and bulky as well as costly, complex and ultimately more e-waste.