[Problem]

To provide a solar house capable of taking in a moderate amount of sunlight while obtaining a large amount of electric power generation.

[Solution]

A solar house 1 is provided with a first panel set 2 having a plurality of first solar panels 21, a second panel set 3 having a plurality of second solar panels 31, and a driving mechanism 6 for driving the first panel set 2 and the second panel set 3 to track sunlight. The first panel set 2 and the second panel set 3 are arranged so that a space S is opened therebetween when the first panel set 2 and the second panel set 3 are placed on a straight line. The space S is set to a substantially exact distance such that the first panel set 2 does not block reception of sunlight by the second panel set 3 and the second panel set 3 does not block reception of sunlight by the first panel set 2 even when the first panel set 2 and the second panel set 3 are tilted to a maximum to track sunlight. Below the first panel set 2, the second panel set 3, and the space S, a housing portion 8 made of materials capable of holding own shape is provided.

A solar tracker waterless cleaning system for cleaning solar panels of a solar tracker being able to be positioned at a pre-determined angle, including a docking station and an autonomous robotic cleaner (ARC), the docking station coupled with an edge of the solar tracker, the ARC including at least one rechargeable power source, at least one cleaning cylinder, at least one edge sensor, at least one cleaning cylinder direct current (DC) drive motor including a built-in encoder, a cleaning cylinder drive belt and a controller, the cleaning cylinder including a plurality of fins which rotates for generating a directional air flow for pushing dirt off of the surface of the solar tracker without water, the cleaning cylinder DC drive motor for driving the cleaning cylinder, the controller for controlling a cleaning process of the ARC, the built-in encoder for determining a revolutions per minute (RPM) of the cleaning cylinder.

Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel attached to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes an outer shell surrounding an inner shell and defining an outer fluid channel. A piston is positioned within the inner shell and moveable relative thereto. A locking valve of the damper assembly includes a shaft extending into a chamber and a seal attached to the shaft. The shaft is selectively moveable axially within the chamber along an extension axis between an unsealed position in which the seal is spaced from a chamber wall and a flow path is defined that extends from within the inner shell, through the chamber, and to the outer fluid channel, and a sealed position in which the seal contacts the chamber wall and the locking valve obstructs the flow path.

Provided is a condensing device, comprising: a mounting platform structure, an energy-collecting structure, mounting frame structures, rotation devices, reflective mirrors, a drive device, guide rails and a telescopic device, wherein the mounting platform structure is capable of tracking east and west angles of the sun and rotates synchronously; and the reflective mirror can rotate in all directions on the mounting frame structure by means of the rotation device; the drive device is provided on the guide rail and may move along the guide rail, the curving radian of each guide rail is different, thereby enabling the rotation direction of each reflective mirror to be different; and the light reflected by the reflective mirror may be reflected onto the energy-collecting structure.

Disclosed is a method of controlling a cluster of solar trackers in which a plurality of solar trackers exist as a cluster shape. The method includes detecting, by each of the cluster of solar trackers, one or more of power generation amount information, altitude information, and azimuth information thereof and transmitting the detected power generation amount information, altitude information, or azimuth information to a server, calculating, by the server, average power generation amount information, average altitude information, or average azimuth information using the power generation amount information, altitude information, or azimuth information of each of the cluster of solar trackers, and determining whether the cluster of solar trackers is normal by comparing the calculated average power generation amount information, average altitude information, or average azimuth information with the power generation amount information, altitude information, or azimuth information detected by each of the cluster of solar trackers.

The present invention relates to a two axis tracking system (100). The present invention includes a frame (102), a solar panel PV module (112), an upper beam (114), a selectively flexible bracket (116), a first supporting pillar (118), a second supporting pillar (140), a lower beam (120), first strut (126), a second strut (146). The first supporting pillar (118) and the second supporting pillar (140) together act as the fixed link. The frame (102) acts as the rotating link and the lower beam (120) acts as the translating link. The first strut (126) and the second strut (146) together act as the fourth link connecting the frame (102) and the lower beam (120). The translation of the lower beam (120) causes rotation of the frame (102) in north-south direction. The PV module (112) is mounted on the frame (102) are rotated in east-west direction by translation motion of the upper beam (114).

Split-cell and multi-panel photovoltaic backtracking control systems and methods allow for increased total power generation during low sun elevation conditions by shading a percentage of panel modules, thereby allowing for a lower angle of incidence on unshaded modules. The control systems and methods involve determining a sun elevation angle, a traditional backtracking angle, a split-cell or multi-panel backtracking angle, a single-cell or single-panel relative light transmission (RLT) based on the single-cell or single-panel backtracking angle, and a split-cell or multi-panel RLT based on the split-cell or multi-panel backtracking angle. If twice the single-cell or single-panel RLT is greater than the split-cell or multi-panel RLT, the split-cell or multi-panel backtracking angle is used; otherwise, the single-cell or single-panel backtracking angle is used. The control systems and methods may further involve determining a diffuse fraction index (DFI) and, if the DFI is greater than a DFI limit, using a DFI tracking angle.

An elevated dual-axis photovoltaic solar tracking assembly tracks the position of the sun with a high efficiency photovoltaic array, orienting photovoltaic array orthogonal to the sun, for optimal efficiency in generating electricity every minute of every day year-round. The assembly provides a pole, typically 20 feet, to elevate the photovoltaic array, thereby allowing a minimum 13 feet clearance from the ground at all times to retain use of the real estate space below the photovoltaic array. A structural frame carries photovoltaic array. A drive-core unit has two interdependent slew drives, driven by all-electric motors, to adjust positioning of photovoltaic array in the orthogonal orientation relative to sun while maintaining the photovoltaic array longitudinal axis orientation to the support pole. This drive-core unit includes the control system with GPS, anemometer, snow sensor and encoder transducers that provide data for a positional algorithm to calculate the sun's position, and move the photovoltaic array to optimally track it, at preset time intervals; as well as to move the array to other desired positions for wind and snow safety or owner preference. The control system energizes the slew drives via electric motors for movement and optimal sun tracking.

The invention relates to a passive tracking device for tracking the position of the sun, which comprises a hollow parallelepiped casing through which the solar radiation entering through a first lens located at the upper end of the parallelepiped casing passes towards a discriminating reflector arranged at the lower end of the same casing; the tracking device redirects as much incoming radiation as possible towards side chambers for absorbing radiation, heating a working fluid contained in the side chamber; producing a volumetric expansion in the working fluid that, communicating with shafts for the rotation of the tracking device, allows the orientation with the normal/perpendicular position with respect to the position of the sun, and to guide the alignment direction of other tracking devices for collecting energy in devices for collecting photovoltaic and/or thermal energy that are mechanically connected to the tracking device.

A measurement device which enables to determine the optimum angle values and orientations of collectors/cells and which enables to measure both direct radiation and diffuse radiation, essentially includes a main body; a solar cell which generates current from solar energy; an actuation mechanism which is adapted to move the solar cell in horizontal and vertical axis; an upper cover which prevents the sun beams reaching the solar cell by covering the upper part of the main body; a second cover on each one of the lateral walls of the upper cover; a current detector which measures the current generated by the solar cell, a control unit which includes a processing unit adapted to generate angle signals that will move the first motor and second motor and determine the optimum angle values according to current information corresponding to the angle signals and the angle information corresponding to the current information.