Strategies to Optimize and Validate Tracking Performance of Single-Axis Trackers on Diffuse Sites

Kendra Passow, Kyumin Lee, Sanket Shah, Daniel Fusaro, Jon Sharp Array Technologies Inc, Albuquerque, NM, United States

Tracking performance can be optimized under diffuse conditions by traveling to a flatter angle to maximize energy production of a PV power plant. Experimental results from Array Technologies’ SmarTrack­­TM Diffuse algorithm are presented here from a site in New York. An alternating validation strategy is described to quantify the diffuse gain over a period of roughly two months (May and June 2021). Additionally, this work includes the details of a prediction methodology used to validate the measured gains as well as estimate annual gains.