The influence of wind and module tilt on the operating temperature of single-axis trackers

This study was a collaboration between FTC Solar and PV Lighthouse. It concerns the module temperature within single-axis trackers (SATs), and describes

• the facility where the measurements were taken;
• how module temperature depends on wind speed, wind direction and tilt; and
• how best to model the module temperature.

We found that the module temperature in SATs

• varies by up to 6 °C within the modules of a 2P system,

• has a stronger dependence on wind speed than usually estimated,

• has a slight dependence on wind direction, and

• is more accurately modelled by accounting for radiative and transient effects.