Optimal and Economic Evaluation of using a Two-axis Solar Tracking System in Photovoltaic Power Plants, a Case Study of “Tehran”, Iran

Photovoltaic systems are one of the types of solar power generation systems. One of the main issues for the construction of a photovoltaic power plant is to determine the type of solar panel installation structure to produce the maximum energy of the photovoltaic system. Most photovoltaic panels used around the world are at a fixed angle. To increase power generation, we can use solar Trackers that guide the panels in the direction of the sun, and with this technique, we can make the most of photovoltaic systems. In this paper, a 20 kW photovoltaic power plant is simulated to compare the power generation of a system with a fixed-angle panel and a system with a two-axis solar tracker. The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent more effective but more expensive tracking systems can be a suitable standard in future PV power plants in the country, it is also discussed the application of these systems when the area and number of modules are limited and this is if These cases have not been seen in previous studies. Simulations for the city of Tehran in Iran have been done with PVsyst software. The total energy produced annually by photovoltaic systems with two-axis solar trackers was more than the energy produced by fixed-angle panels. Also, the economic analysis of the power plant has been done with RETScreen software, which shows that the efficiency and output power of the solar system with a two-axis tracker has increased compared to the fixed system. Using solar tracking systems is complex and expensive, but we can have the same amount of energy with fewer solar modules than with fixed systems. Therefore, systems with two-axis trackers are more practical when using the minimum installation area required.