Journal of Solar Energy Engineering.

Received January 31, 2017;

Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

COMPARISON OF SOLAR TRACKING AND FIXED-TILT

PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES IN LODZ

Paulina SAWICKA-CHUDYa*, Maciej SIBIŃSKIb, Marian CHOLEWAa, Ryszard

PAWEŁEKc

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a
Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, 1 Pigonia Street,

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Rzeszow 35-317, Poland.
b
Department of Semiconductor and Optoelectronics, Lodz University of Technology, 211/215 Wólczańska Street,

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Lodz 90-924, Poland.
c
Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 18/22 Stefanowskiego Street, Lodz 90-
924, Poland.

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Abstract

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The world energy consumption has exhibited high growth over the last several decades.
Alternative energy sources like photovoltaic systems generate electricity, reduce pollution air, and
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have little environmental impact. The commonly used fixed-tilt solar panels, however, have low
efficiency and high production cost. Thus, it takes a long time to obtain a return on the investment.
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Solar trackers increase the efficiency of photovoltaic systems and are therefore more attractive
from a financial point of view. In order to design tracking systems that will be efficient, it is
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necessary to analyze the results during various periods during the year and over their lifespan.
Thus, we performed a comparative study between fixed-tilt panels and the tracking system
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installed in Lodz, Poland. Fixed-tilt panels are at normal to the Earth's surface (90 degrees from
horizontal plane) and are attached to a building façade, azimuth 180o (S direction) with 15 cm
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ventilation gap so slight efficiency drop may be presumed. We performed short and long-term
analyses of the solar tracking and fixed-tilt systems, which allowed us to conclude that the panels
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tracking the sun had an additional gain of energy during the year as compared to the fixed-tilt
panels. During some months, however, the solar tracking system did not produce as much energy
as the fixed-tilt, vertically positioned panels. These results might be useful in designing and
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constructing solar tracking photovoltaic systems.

Keywords: photovoltaic installations, tracking system, fixed-tilt panels, solar energy, electricity generation
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*Corresponding author: sawicka61@wp.pl

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1. Introduction
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Energy plays a vital role in daily human needs. Worldwide, energy consumption has shown
rapid growth, which is the important global energy problem.1 Solar energy as an unlimited source
of green energy can help overcome global warming and air pollution. The conversion of solar
energy into electric power depends on the location, orientation, and type of photovoltaic (PV)
system. In solar tracking PV systems, the panel rotates with respect to the position of the sun.2,3

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

For solar energy to be effectively used to provide electric power, its efficiency must be
maximized.4 Previous studies in Europe demonstrated that the mean power output of tracking PV
systems ranges from 13%–15%5 to more than 20%,6 and up to 31%7 higher than in case of fixed-
tilt PV panels, depending on the system type and location. Tracking systems are more expensive
than their stationary counterparts because of the more complex technology and moving parts
required for their operation.8 The first tracking system was introduced by Finster in 1962 and was

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completely mechanical. In 1963 Saavedra presented a mechanism with automatic electronic

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control that used an Eppley pyrheliometer to orient the panel to the sun.9, 10 Over the years,
researchers have studied solar trackers, which have been designed and manufactured to increase

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the amount of energy generated by PV systems.10 In 1991 Konar et al. created a one-axis
microprocessor-based sun tracking device for use in PV flat panels or with parabolic reflectors.11

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Kalogirou constructed a one-axis sun-tracking system comprising a control system with three light
dependent resistor sensors and a DC motor in 1996.9, 12 In 2004, Al-Mohamad designed a single-

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axis sun-tracking system based on a programmable logic controlling.9, 13 Many researchers
designed, fabricated, and tested tracking systems that provided more energy during the year than
did fixed-axis PV systems.9, 14-16
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We performed a short and long-term analyses of both types of systems on cloudy and sunny
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days in summer (July 2015) and analyzed the values of power, and daily energy generated. We
then calculated the maximum efficiency and solar cell temperature of panels and compared them
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between the two systems. Finally, monthly and annually generated energy were calculated for both
systems. Both systems were installed in the same location in order to determinate their efficiency
considering the local climate conditions. In order to design efficient tracking systems, it is
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necessary to analyze the results for various periods of work.

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2. Construction of the Laboratory Setup

The tracking system and fixed-tilt panels (Fig. 1a,b) analyzed in this study were located on
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the south facade and on the roof of the building of the Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer,
and Control Engineering at the Technical University of Lodz (205.98 meters above the mean sea
level). The installation is part of the DER Lab complex. The DER Lab is an association of leading
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laboratories and research institutes in the field of distributed energy resources equipment and
systems.17 Table 1 presents the system operating parameters of the tracking system and fixed-tilt
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panels.
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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

a) b)

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Fig. 1. Fixed-tilt panels (a) and tracking system panels (b).

The PV characteristics data at Standard Test Conditions (STC), at Nominal Operating

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Cell Temperature (NOCT), and parameters of solar trackers (DEGER Tracker 3000NT) are
shown in Table 2. The solar tracker was equipped with a programmed microcontroller that

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directed the system by communicating with sensors and the motor driver based on the sun
movement. The solar tracker continuously oriented the PV panels, and the absence of
radiation made the PV modules orient horizontally. The solar tracking system used its own
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energy.
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Table 1. Parameters of the solar tracker and fixed-tilt systems.18–20
Parameters
Parameter Fixed-tilt panels
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Tracking system
Number of modules 27 45
Power system (kW) 6 9
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Type of panels 225TT SF200A

Area of panels (m2) 45 75
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Manufacturer of panels IBC PolySol Solar-Fabrik AG

Absorber area Polycrystalline Polycrystalline

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Cell efficiency 14.7% 14.9%

Mechanical structure - DEGER Tracker 3000NT
Year of installation 2007 2009/2010
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façade
Location roof
(90º from horizontal)
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Table 2. PV panel data STC, NOCT, and parameters of DEGER Tracker 3000NT.18–20
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The fixed-tilt panels and tracking system panels were connected to the local grid by a Sunny
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Boy system (IBC Solar), which was mounted in the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering,
Technical University of Lodz. The system operation was continuously monitored by Sunny Boy
Control Plus, which stored all generated data. The installation was divided into six equal serially-
connected parts. Figure 2 presents a schematic diagram of the installation.21,22

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

Nominal value Parameters of DEGER Tracker

Initial value (STC)
(NOCT) 3000NT
Characteristic data Fixed- Fixed-
Tracking Tracking
tilt tilt Parameter Value
system system
panels panels
2-axis
Pmp (Wp) 225 200 185 158 Tracking type
300°
Imp (A) 7.44 7.27 6.78 6.23 East-West angle

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20° – 90°

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Isc (A) 8.13 7.77 7.04 6.60 Elevation angle
13°/min
Vmp (V) 30.30 27.60 27.96 25.41 Spin speed elevation

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30°/min
Voc (V) 36.70 35.00 34.55 32.77 Spin speed azimuth

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NOCT (ºC) 44 45 Power and energy consumption
Temperature coefficient Internal consumption 7 kWh
-0.46 -0.47 -0.46 -0.47
(%/K), Pmax per year

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Temperature coefficient
-127 -120 -127 -120 Control mode 1W
(mV/K) Voc
Temperature coefficient With running
5.0 5.45 5.0 5.45 8W
(mA/K), Isc ot actuator
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Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of installation of the fixed-tilt and tracking system panels.
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3. Experimental Results
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3.1 Short-Term Analysis of Both Installation Types

First, we performed a short-term analysis of the tracking system and fixed-tilt panels.
Measurements of power values from both systems were obtained on cloudy days and sunny days
in the summer (July 2015) as illustrated in Fig. 3a,b.
4

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

Power of fixed-tilt panels Power of tracking system

50
40
Power [W/m2]

30

d
20

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10

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0
0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00
Local time [h]

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Fig. 3a. Power generated as the function of time on a cloudy day.

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Power of fixed-tilt panels Power of tracking system
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100
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80
Power [W/m2]

60
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40
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20
0
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0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00

Local time [h]
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Fig. 3b. Power generated as the function of time on a sunny day.

Measurements of daily electrical energy produced by the PV systems are compared as a

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function of time on cloudy and sunny days in Fig. 4a,b, and the amounts of energy produced are
compared in Fig. 5a,b. The energy is that which was delivered to the network after deducting the
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energy consumed by the tracking system.

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Ac

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

40
Energy per 1 m2 of panel [Wh/m2]

Fixed-tilt panels

Tracking system
30

20

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10

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0
0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00

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Local time [h]

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Fig. 4a. Hourly electrical energy produced by the two systems for cloudy conditions.

80 Fixed-tilt panels ot
Energy per 1 m2 of panel [Wh/m2]

Tracking system
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60
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40
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20
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0
0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00
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Local time [h]

Fig. 4b. Hourly electrical energy produced by the two systems for clear sky conditions.
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According to a previous study,23,24 we calculated the maximum efficiency (ηmax) and the
cell temperature (Tc) on a cloudy day and a sunny day in the summer (July 2015, Fig. 6a,b), which
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are given by the following equations:

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η , [%], (1)
·
where Pmax is the maximum power output [W], I is solar irradiance [W/m2], and Ac is area of the
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collector [m2].
T T I, [°C], (2)
where Ta is ambient temperature [°C], NOCT is normal operating cell temperature at an air
temperature of 20°C, global solar irradiance of 800 W/m2, and wind speed of 1 m/s.
6

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

Fixed-tilt panels Fixed-tilt panels

Tracking system Tracking system
Difference between tracking system and fixed-tilt panels Difference between tracking system and fixed-tilt panels

Energy per 1m2 of panel

Energy per 1m2 of panel

994
1000 1000
800 800 625

[Wh/m2]
[Wh/m2]

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600 600
327 369

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400 400
180 148
200 200

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0 0

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Fig. 5. Cumulative amount of daily electrical energy produced for cloudy (a) and clear (b) sky conditions.

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Tracking system Fixed-tilt panels

Cell temperature of tracking system Cell temperature of fixed-tilt panel

24 ot 35
Cell temperature [ºC]
20 30
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Efficiency [%]

16 25
12 20
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8 15
4 10
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0 5
0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00
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Local time [h]

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Fig. 6a. Calculated efficiency values of systems during a cloudy day.

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

Tracking system Fixed tilt panels

Cell temperature of tracking system Cell temperature of fixed tilt panel

24 60

Cell temperature [ºC]

20 50
Efficiency [%]

16 40

d
12 30

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8 20
4 10

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0 0
0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00

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Local time [h]

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Fig. 6b. Calculated momentary efficiency values of systems on a sunny day.

The experimental results reveal a remarkable increase in the energy produced by the
tracking system compared to the fixed-tilt panels, ranging from ~45% (cloudy day; Fig. 6a) ot
to ~63% (sunny day, Fig. 6b) according to the following formula:
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p 1 !"
$ % 100, (%*, (3)
#!
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where DTS is the energy of 1 m2 of the tracking system [Wh/m2] and ET is the energy of
1 m2 of the fixed-tilt panel [Wh/m2].
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The efficiency of the solar tracking system was further increased up to 16% on a sunny
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day (Fig. 6b). Figure 7 shows the mean daily efficiency of both systems. On the other hand,
the calculated mean daily efficiency value of fixed-tilt panels was higher on a cloudy day
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than on a sunny day.

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

Fixed-tilt panels, sunny day Tracking system, sunny day

Fixed-tilt panels, cloudy day Tracking system, cloudy day

11.40
Efficiency [%]

12 10.50

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5.76

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6 4.23

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0

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Fig. 7. Calculated mean daily efficiency values of the solar tracking and fixed-tilt panels.

A comparison of voltage and current on a sunny day in June is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. We
did not collect voltage and current data for a cloudy day. Figure 8 shows that both configurations ot
(fixed-tilt panels and the tracking system) provided relatively constant voltage during daylight
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conditions. This can be explained by the PV physics and photoelectric effect of the dependence of
voltage output on the photon energy or frequency.25
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Tracking system Tracking system

Fixed-tilt panels Fixed-tilt panels
10
sc

400
Voltage [V]

8
Current [A]

300
6
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200 4
100 2
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0 0
3:40 8:40 13:40 18:40 3:40 8:40 13:40 18:40
Local time [h] Local time [h]
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Fig. 8. Voltage comparison of fixed-tilt panels Fig. 9. Current comparison of fixed-tilt panels and
and tracking system. tracking system.
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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

3.2 Long-Term Analysis of Both Installation Types

Over the long-term, the variability of the two types of PV modules is influenced by dust
accumulation, seasonal variations, and panel aging.26 To evaluate the performance of the two PV
systems, they were operated simultaneously. For both systems, the measurements were obtained
between July 1st and December 31st in 2010, 2011, and 2015. The mean energy generated each
month by 1 m2 of the tracking system and the fixed-tilt panels, and the difference in energy

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generated by the tracking system with respect to fixed-tilt panels are plotted in Figure 10.

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25
Tracking system
Fixed-tilt panels

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20 Difference between tracking system and fixed-tilt panels
Energy per 1m2 of panel

15

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[kWh/m2]

10

5 ot
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0
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
-5
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2009 2010 2015

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Fig. 10. Monthly energy generated in 2010, 2011, 2015.

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We also calculated the energy generated annually by the tracking system and fixed-tilt panels
for 2010, 2011, and 2015, and the difference between the tracking system and the fixed-tilt panels
(Fig. 11).
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Increase in energy [%]

Fixed-tilt panels Tracking system Annual total

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300
6000
Energy [kWh]

200
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4000 100
ce

2000 0
Ac

0 2010 2011 2015

2010 2011 2015

Fig. 11. Energy generated by each system and the two systems combined in 2010, 2011, and 2015, and
the increase in energy produced by the tracking system compared to fixed-tilt panels.

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Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Received January 31, 2017;
Accepted manuscript posted January 25, 2018. doi:10.1115/1.4039097
Copyright (c) 2018 by ASME

These results revealed a remarkable improvement in power conversion: from ~170% to ~240%
more energy with the tracking system compared with the fixed-tilt panels during the year
depending on the location, orientation, type of PV system,1 and the meteorologic conditions, i.e.,
diffuse/direct solar radiation, ambient temperature, and cell temperature (Fig. 11).

4. Conclusions

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In this study, we performed a short and long-term analysis of a dual-axis solar tracking

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system and fixed tilt panels under actual field conditions. The two PV systems were mounted in
the city of Lodz (51°48’N, 19°24' E)27. The short-term analyses were performed on July 4th

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(a sunny day) and July 26th (a cloudy day). The long-term analysis was conducted from July 1st
through December 31st in 2010, 2011, and 2015.

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Our findings indicated that:

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• In terms of daily mean energy production, the solar tracking system produced more total energy.
The amount of the increase depended on weather conditions, and varied between 45% (cloudy
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day) and 63% (sunny day) compared to the fixed-tilt panels positioned at a 90° angle.
• Maximum daily efficiency on a sunny day ranged from ~8% to 16% for the tracking system and
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from ~2% to 8% for the fixed-tilt panels (Fig. 6b). The tracking system is exposed to higher solar
irradiance in the morning and evening hours and produce more energy than fixed-tilt panels. The
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cell temperature of solar tracking panels was therefore higher most of the time, leading to lower
efficiency during the period of highest solar irradiance (Fig. 6a,b). The cell temperature of the
solar tracking panels was therefore high most of the time, leading to lower efficiency during the
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period of highest solar irradiance (Fig. 6a,b). It should be noted, however, that fixed-tilt panels
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are at 90 degrees from horizontal and attached to a building façade. They do not have the
standard air gap behind them like in a typical ground-mounted fixed-tilt system; instead they
have a 15-cm ventilation gap between the panel and the facade, so slight efficiency drop may be
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presumed. Furthermore, because it is not at a latitude tilt, the panels receive far less irradiance
during the summer months than those that are at latitude tilt. They will also produce around 30%
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less energy than a typical optimized ground-mounted fixed-tilt system. For example, the monthly
mean electricity production (calculated using PVGIS)28 from 1 kWh fixed-tilt panel at the
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optimal angle for Lodz (36 degrees) was ~80 kWh, while that from a vertical surface was
decreased by ~25 kWh
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• The increase of energy produced by the tracking system with respect to fixed-tilt panels
depended largely on the examination period (Fig. 10). The tracking system is not always more
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efficient than fixed-tilt panels. In the 4-month analysis, for some months, 1 m2 of fixed-tilt panels
generated more energy, but meteorologic conditions could be the reason for this as irradiation
was higher and the mean temperature was lower during these months than in the other months in
the years of the analysis.

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• In 2015, there was a greater difference between the energy generated by the two systems
(Fig. 11). One possible reason for this difference was that Lodz had much more irradiation in
2015 than in the previous years.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer, and Control Engineering at the
Technical University of Lodz for allowing and enabling us to perform this research.

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