Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes

Kevin Anderson

doi:10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300438

Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes

Kevin Anderson

Materials Science

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

15 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Many tracking PV systems avoid row-to-row shading by backtracking in morning and afternoon. Because the common single-axis backtracking implementation assumes the array is in a horizontal plane, it does not fully prevent row-to-row shading in arrays installed on cross-axis slopes, e.g. an east-west slope for a tracker with north-south axis alignment. This paper presents the simulated effect of reduced self-shading on annual production with two modified backtracking strategies. Depending on the array geometry and the steepness of the cross-axis grade, using a modified backtracking strategy improved annual yield by 3-10%.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300438
State	Published - 2021
Event	2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) - Calgary, Canada Duration: 15 Jun 2020 → 21 Aug 2020

Conference

Conference	2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC)
City	Calgary, Canada
Period	15/06/20 → 21/08/20

Bibliographical note

See NREL/CP-5K00-76023 for preprint

NLR Publication Number

NREL/CP-5K00-79278

Keywords

backtracking
computational modeling
mathematical model
production
standards
sun
temperature measurement

Access to Document

10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300438

Cite this

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title = "Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes",

abstract = "Many tracking PV systems avoid row-to-row shading by backtracking in morning and afternoon. Because the common single-axis backtracking implementation assumes the array is in a horizontal plane, it does not fully prevent row-to-row shading in arrays installed on cross-axis slopes, e.g. an east-west slope for a tracker with north-south axis alignment. This paper presents the simulated effect of reduced self-shading on annual production with two modified backtracking strategies. Depending on the array geometry and the steepness of the cross-axis grade, using a modified backtracking strategy improved annual yield by 3-10\%.",

keywords = "backtracking, computational modeling, mathematical model, production, standards, sun, temperature measurement",

author = "Kevin Anderson",

note = "See NREL/CP-5K00-76023 for preprint; 2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) ; Conference date: 15-06-2020 Through 21-08-2020",

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language = "American English",

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AU - Anderson, Kevin

N1 - See NREL/CP-5K00-76023 for preprint

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Many tracking PV systems avoid row-to-row shading by backtracking in morning and afternoon. Because the common single-axis backtracking implementation assumes the array is in a horizontal plane, it does not fully prevent row-to-row shading in arrays installed on cross-axis slopes, e.g. an east-west slope for a tracker with north-south axis alignment. This paper presents the simulated effect of reduced self-shading on annual production with two modified backtracking strategies. Depending on the array geometry and the steepness of the cross-axis grade, using a modified backtracking strategy improved annual yield by 3-10%.

AB - Many tracking PV systems avoid row-to-row shading by backtracking in morning and afternoon. Because the common single-axis backtracking implementation assumes the array is in a horizontal plane, it does not fully prevent row-to-row shading in arrays installed on cross-axis slopes, e.g. an east-west slope for a tracker with north-south axis alignment. This paper presents the simulated effect of reduced self-shading on annual production with two modified backtracking strategies. Depending on the array geometry and the steepness of the cross-axis grade, using a modified backtracking strategy improved annual yield by 3-10%.

KW - backtracking

KW - computational modeling

KW - mathematical model

KW - production

KW - standards

KW - sun

KW - temperature measurement

U2 - 10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300438

DO - 10.1109/PVSC45281.2020.9300438

M3 - Paper

T2 - 2020 47th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC)

Y2 - 15 June 2020 through 21 August 2020

ER -

Maximizing Yield with Improved Single-Axis Backtracking on Cross-Axis Slopes

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

NLR Publication Number

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this