Solar Tracker Market

To achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and to address the issue of rapidly exhausting resources of fossil fuels, global economies are swiftly increasing the utilization of renewable sources of energy to meet the growing energy demand. Solar energy is often looked upon as the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy with a high potential. Manufacturers, hence, are constantly making incremental improvements to their solar panels to create a higher energy yield per unit than previous and competing models. One way to increase a solar energy system’s output is by using solar trackers, which, unlike fixed-tilt ground-mount systems, make solar panels follow the sun’s path throughout the day. Trackers are financially viable as they generate more electricity than their stationary counterparts and the increase can be around 10 to 30% depending on the geographic location of the tracking system.

Solar trackers, based on axis, are categorized into single axis and dual axis. Single axis trackers follow the position of the sun by moving in a single axis i.e., vertical, horizontal, and tilted, based on the solar trajectory and the weather condition. They can increase production between 25% to 35%. Dual axis trackers also follow the sun from north to south, while tracking it as it moves from east to west. These trackers are more common among residential and small commercial solar projects that have limited space and they produce 30 to 45% more energy yield than fixed-tilt solar systems.

Based on type, solar trackers are classified into manual, passive, and active. Manual trackers require physical adjustement to move the panels at different times throughout the day to follow the sun, which is not always practical. Passive trackers can track the sun without any added energy source. They contain a liquid with a low boiling point that evaporates when exposed to solar radiation making the tilt system imbalanced causing the panels to tilt in the direction of the sun’s rays. Active trackers are the most common and they rely on motors or hydraulic cylinders to tilt the attached solar panels to face the sun. Active solar trackers are usually more suitable for large and complex installations.

Soalar trackers are also classified based on technology, into solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated photovoltaic (CPV), and concentrated solar power (CSP). Solar photovoltaic (PV) trackers are non-concentrating photovoltaic trackers which aim to gather the available direct as well as diffuse light by minimizing the angle of incidence between the incoming light and the photovoltaic panel. Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) trackers, on the other hand, only capture the direct component of the incoming light and must be tilted appropriately to maximize the energy gathered. CSPs use sets of mirrors to focus the energy to receiver. It is of utmost importance to continuously re-orient the mirrors to focus the solar energy on to the fixed receiver for CSP trackers.

Furthermore, the solar tracker market is also fragmented based on application, into residential, commercial & industrial, and utility. Solar trackers can greatly increase the cost of a solar energy installation. As a result, utilities or utility scale solar power generating units are the primary consumers for solar trackers. Commercial and industrial sectors are also rapidly increasing their utilization of solar trackers to increase the production capacity. The utilization of solar trackers in residential applications is still in its infancy and will increase as they become more economical.

The global solar tracker market can be segmented into North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. In North America and Europe, to achieve the decarbonization targets, usage of cleaner fuels and renewable for power generation has increased substantially. This offers great potential for the growth of the solar tracker market. US Energy Information Administration states that more than 50% of the operating utility-scale solar PV systems in the US use some form of tracking technology. Southeast Asia has set a regional energy target to derive 23% of its total primary energy supply from renewables by 2025. Similar targets have been set by major economies in Middle East & Africa and South America as well, which may increase the deployment of solar power generating systems and increase the demand for solar trackers.

The major players in the solar tracker market are Array Technologies (US), Nextracker Inc. (US), Ideematech Deutschland GmbH (Germany), Trina Solar (China), Arctech Solar (India), GameChange Solar (India), PVHardware (Spain), Soltec (India), ArcelorMittal Projects (Luxembourg), SunPower (US), Convert Italia (Italy), Sun Action Trackers (US), Solar Steel (Spain), Nexans (France), and Scorpius Trackers Pvt. Ltd. (India).

Key Questions Addressed by the Report

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the current size of the solar tracker market?
2. What are the major drivers for the solar tracker market?
3. At what rate the global solar tracker market is expected to grow by 2027?
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6. What are the trends that could be witnessed over the next five to ten years?
7. What will be the revenue pockets for the solar tracker market in the next five years?
8. Who are the top players operating in the market and their developments in the industry?