A bearing assembly of a power generation structure including, a rail; and a housing adapted to support the rail; where the housing includes a fixed housing portion attached to a support beam, and an adjustable housing portion attached to rail, where a low friction material is present at an interface between an exterior surface of rail and an interior surface of the adjustable housing portion, where the adjustable housing portion is capable of self-aligning adjustment of at least a portion of the rail out of alignment with a central axis of the support beam.

A bearing assembly of a power generation structure including, a rail; and a housing adapted to support the rail; where the housing includes a fixed housing portion attached to a support beam, and an adjustable housing portion attached to rail, where a low friction material is present at an interface between an exterior surface of rail and an interior surface of the adjustable housing portion, where the adjustable housing portion is capable of self-aligning adjustment of at least a portion of the rail out of alignment with a central axis of the support beam.

Disclosed is a rotation apparatus of a pole system for photovoltaic power generation, the rotation apparatus comprising: a first tubular body connected to a solar panel array; a second tubular body coupled to a lower portion of the first tubular body and fixed on the upper end of a pole; a gear unit for transferring rotating force to the first tubular body; a driving motor for providing the gear unit with the rotating force; and a contact part of at least 3-points of contact, which is installed on coupling portions of the first tubular body and the second tubular body and maintains a contact state during the relative rotation of the first and second tubular bodies to transfer the power or a signal.

Disclosed is a rotation apparatus of a pole system for photovoltaic power generation, the rotation apparatus comprising: a first tubular body connected to a solar panel array; a second tubular body coupled to a lower portion of the first tubular body and fixed on the upper end of a pole; a gear unit for transferring rotating force to the first tubular body; a driving motor for providing the gear unit with the rotating force; and a contact part of at least 3-points of contact, which is installed on coupling portions of the first tubular body and the second tubular body and maintains a contact state during the relative rotation of the first and second tubular bodies to transfer the power or a signal.

A drive arrangement has a rotary driveshaft (1) bearing a drive finger (10) parallel and offset in the radial direction in relation to the axis of rotation and a locking device (11) offset radially with respect to the finger (10). The drive arrangement also has a coupling unit with a device in the shape of an arc which bears the drive or locking recesses disposed in alteration so as to enable relative rotation/prevent rotation between the unit and the driveshaft (1) when the finger (10) engages in one of the drive/locking recesses. The locking device (11) and the finger (10) are offset along the axis of rotation, and the coupling device has a part bearing the locking recesses and a part bearing the drive recesses, the two parts being positioned parallel and offset along the axis of rotation so as to be able to interact with the locking device (11) or the finger (10), respectively.

A docking station for use with a solar tracking system includes a frame configured to selectively support solar cleaning equipment thereon and a mounting bracket operably coupled to a portion of the frame. The mounting bracket maintains a gap between adjacent edges of the frame and an adjacent solar module, and the frame includes a width that approximates a width of the solar module.

A method for moving an end effector based on receipt of sunlight, the end effector divided into a first and second upper quadrant located above a Y-axis that corresponds to a solar azimuth and a first and second lower quadrant located below the Y-axis, the first upper and first lower quadrant located on a first side of an X-axis that corresponds to a solar angle and the second upper and second lower quadrant located on a second side of the X-axis, determining a vertical difference between an average of the illuminance received in first and second upper quadrants and an average of the illuminance received in first and second lower quadrants, determining a lateral difference between an average of the illuminance received in the first upper quadrant and the first lower quadrant and an average of the illuminance received in the second upper quadrant and the second lower quadrant, moving end effector along the X-axis in response to the vertical difference being greater than a vertical tolerance; and moving the end effector along the Y-axis in response to the lateral difference being greater than a lateral tolerance.

A solar array assembly that includes a chassis, a top solar array assembly, a right side solar array assembly pivotable with respect to the chassis along a first horizontal axis, and a left side solar array assembly pivotable with respect to the chassis along a second horizontal axis. The right side solar array assembly includes a right central solar array assembly, a first right end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a first vertical axis, and a second right end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a second vertical axis. The left side solar array assembly includes a left central solar array assembly, a first left end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a third vertical axis, and a second left end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a fourth vertical axis.

A solar array assembly that includes a chassis, a top solar array assembly, a right side solar array assembly pivotable with respect to the chassis along a first horizontal axis, and a left side solar array assembly pivotable with respect to the chassis along a second horizontal axis. The right side solar array assembly includes a right central solar array assembly, a first right end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a first vertical axis, and a second right end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a second vertical axis. The left side solar array assembly includes a left central solar array assembly, a first left end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a third vertical axis, and a second left end solar array assembly pivotably connected to the right central solar array assembly about a fourth vertical axis.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to solar tracking apparatuses, systems that include the same, and methods of operating the same. An example solar tracking apparatus includes a structure attachment portion configured to be attached to a structure (e.g., a moveable or stationary structure) and to remain relatively stationary relative to the structure. The structure attachment portion may include one or more mounts configured to attach the structure attachment portion to the structure. The solar tracking apparatus also includes at least one solar panel portion coupled to the structure attachment portion. The solar panel portion may be configured to move relative to the structure attachment portion and the structure. For example, the solar tracking apparatus may include one or more actuators coupled to solar panel portion configured to move at least a portion of the solar panel portion relative to the structure attachment portion.