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> Possibility to use single axis sun tracking mounts for panels, so a unit of capacity generates more electricity each year I read an HN comment earlier this w

> Possibility to use single axis sun tracking mounts for panels, so a unit of capacity generates more electricity each year I read an HN comment earlier this week that noted that solar panels are so cheap that is is more economical to just install more panels than to pay for the expense and maintenance of moving parts. I.e. you can generate the same amount of extra energy that tracking would give you by adding more fixed untracked panels. And fixed panels with have no moving parts which makes maintenance super cheap. A quick glance around at internet articles seems to confirm this take.

philipkglass 3y ago
That may be true in some locations. The most recent information I can find for the United States says that single axis tracking is used by most large solar farms: The use of single-axis/one-axis tracking in the U.S. utility PV market has grown significantly over the past decade. At the end of 2022, 73% of all U.S. utility-scale PV systems used single-axis tracking. And 86% of U.S. utility-scale PV systems installed in 2022 used single-axis tracking. This growth can be attributed to the reduced cost and increased reliability of trackers, making them the economic choice in a broader distribution of PV systems (e.g., less irradiant climates). "National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Summer 2023 Solar Industry Update" https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/87189.pdf https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/87189.pdf