Photovoltaic systems with solar tracking mirrors

This paper presents a novel photovoltaic (PV) system that has a one-axis tracking function. This PV system utilizes cheap mirrors, rather than multiple solar cells, to reduce the power generation cost. Based on the principle of mirror reflection that is used to increase illumination on the surface of a solar panel, the system structure is discussed. After analyzing the continuously changing positions of the Sun, a solar tracking program is proposed to drive the mirror panels. The tracking program maximizes the amount of illumination reflected from the mirrors onto the surface of a solar panel. The power generation characteristics of the proposed system were evaluated by a simulation. The test data for four seasons show that the annual average power generation of this system is approximately 1.7 times higher than a system with the same solar panel area but without mirrors.