Performance Evaluation of a Tilted Single Axis Photovoltaic Tracking System under Different Weather Conditions

Abstract

Abstract

Experimental studies were carried out using 37 W photovoltaic (PV) panels under different weather conditions over a prolonged duration of time to evaluate the performance of a low cost tilted single axis tracking system in comparison with a horizontal single axis tracking system and two fixed PV systems. A horizontal single axis PV panel tracker (HSAPVPT) and a tilted single axis PV panel tracker (TSAPVPT) were set up to compare their performance with a fixed horizontal PV panel (FHPVP) and another fixed tilted PV panel (FTPVP) inclined at an angle equal to the latitude (22º 43’, north latitude) of Indore city, Madhya Pradesh (India). Performance evaluation of both the single axis trackers was carried out during the entire month of October 2016 under varying climatic conditions. Performance of both the single axis trackers was observed to be exemplary under bright and sunny conditions with maximum duration of direct solar irradiance. However, performance of both the trackers deteriorated with decrease in duration of direct solar irradiance due to cloudy and heavily overcast conditions. All relevant geographical and seasonal details as well as ambient conditions, which decide the performance of PV systems, have been clearly mentioned to help in analysis and comparison of PV systems developed by other researchers. A unique feature of these tracking systems is that energy consumption of the tracking systems was quite low at around 1.1 % of the per day energy generated on sunny days. It is also experimentally established that average energy gain during the month of October, 2016 of a TSAPVPT system was 31.91 % while that of a HSAPVPT system was 18.05 % and hence can be used with advantage.

Keywords: Horizontal single axis sun tracker, tilted single axis sun tracker, low cost sun tracking systems, energy gain

Cite this Article

S.P. Singh, K. Srikant, K.S. Jairaj. Performance Evaluation of a Tilted Single Axis Photovoltaic Tracking System under Different Weather Conditions. Journal of Alternate Energy Sources and Technologies. 2017; 8(2): 45–55p.