Failure mechanisms/causes of solar trackers

[keith_allen53]

Hello Everyone,

Does anyone have any hard or anecdotal evidence as to the failure mechanisms of solar trackers? Specifically, are most failures due to inclement weather, tracker components, tracker wear-n-tear, miss-use/poor installation etc? I've searched the web but all companies will talk about is how great their trackers are - not why they fail (and understandably so).

Thanks a buch in advance!

Keith

[Mike90250]

I don't know why they fail, but I've seen 2 large installs (one at a solar vendor) where all the trackers are broken, and don't track. about 5 trackers at each site. Unless you are really tight on space, spend the money on more panels is the usual advice.

[Sunking]

Highest point of failure is MECHANICAL.

[keith_allen53]

Highest point of failure is MECHANICAL.

- Do you mean mechanical as in due to environmental stress or perhaps poor design and or components? Thank you, Keith

[Sunking]

- Do you mean mechanical as in due to environmental stress or perhaps poor design and or components? Thank you, Keith

Yes.

[Mike90250]

MECHANICAL:

Lube oil dries out
Hydraulic lines leak
motors seize, gears break
linkage breaks

Whatever is undersized, fails.

[Sunking]

OK I have some more time on my hands this round. All the consumer grade trackers and made to be inexpensive, which means valued engineered, which means undersized and low grade hardware. For example gears will be made out of nylon or stamped sheet metal instead of tool machined steel. They will use open bushings instead of sealed bearings. Actuators will be made from stamped sheet meatl instead of heavy galvanized steel. Motor/servos will be light duty instead of heavy duty.

It is like going to say Lowes to buy a Honda lawn mower instead of the dealer. The lawn mowers at Lowes are low grade quality (consumer grade) made by Honda just for Lowes to get the price down. The mowers at the dealers are commercial grade and will last much longer.

[peakbagger]

The state of Vermont is going tracker crazy currently. A friend of a politician helped write a solar feed in tariff with some incentive to buy locally made goods and of course the friend happened to be coming out with a line of trackers integrate with pole mounts and panels. . I think the name is All Sun Renewables ?. They are popping up all over the state but havent been on the market long so who knows how durable they are in the long run. They do use a software approach to tracking unlike older trackers that used a couple fo photcells to keep the unit centered.