Researchers at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have developed a new type of solar panel system that not only follows the sun to generate more electricity but also folds itself away to protect against hail, strong winds and snow.
The innovative system, called FLAPTrack (Face-to-Face Lay-Down Anti-Degradation Protection), could make solar power more efficient and more durable while helping electricity grids cope with periods of high demand.
The research was published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
Traditional solar panels are usually installed at a fixed angle. Although they produce clean electricity, they cannot adjust their position as the sun moves across the sky.
This means they miss out on some sunlight during the morning and evening, reducing the amount of electricity they generate each day.
FLAPTrack solves this problem by automatically turning both horizontally and vertically to keep the solar panels facing the sun throughout the day. This allows the system to capture more sunlight and generate significantly more electricity than fixed solar panels.
The research team has already built a demonstration system on the roof of an office building at TU Graz. The system has a capacity of 1.8 kilowatts and is being used to test how well the technology performs under real outdoor conditions.
One of the most important features of FLAPTrack is its patented folding mechanism. A specially designed linear actuator performs two jobs at once.
It moves the panels to follow the sun during the day and folds them into a protected position when needed. Because a single mechanism performs both tasks, the system is simpler and less expensive than using separate motors for tracking and protection.
The results have been impressive. On average, the system produced nearly 40% more electricity than conventional fixed solar panels. On certain days, the increase reached as much as 56%.
The biggest advantage comes during the early morning and late afternoon. These are often the times when households and businesses use the most electricity, yet traditional solar panels receive sunlight at poor angles and generate much less power.
By continuously tracking the sun, FLAPTrack can produce more than twice as much electricity during these high-demand periods, helping reduce pressure on the electricity grid.
The benefits are even greater during winter and in regions farther from the equator, where the sun stays lower in the sky. The tracking system captures more of this low-angle sunlight, while the folding mechanism helps prevent snow from collecting on the panels, allowing them to continue producing electricity when fixed systems may be covered.
The folding design also provides valuable protection from severe weather. Hail and powerful wind gusts are becoming more common in many parts of the world as the climate changes, and both can seriously damage solar panels.
Large hailstones can crack the silicon cells inside a panel, creating damaged areas that reduce the efficiency of the entire system.
When weather sensors and forecast data predict dangerous conditions, FLAPTrack automatically folds the solar panels together face-to-face and lowers them close to the ground.
This greatly reduces their exposure to wind and shields the sensitive front surfaces from hail. A simple hail net can also be placed over the backs of the folded panels for additional protection.
The researchers continue to monitor the system using numerous sensors that record weather conditions, electricity production, wind forces and mechanical wear. These data will help improve future versions of FLAPTrack, making the system lighter, more efficient and even more reliable.
The team believes this smart solar technology could play an important role in increasing renewable energy production while protecting valuable equipment from increasingly extreme weather.
Source: KSR.
