Genera is an International Energy and Environment trade exhibition. This year’s edition, which took place between 14th and 16th June, was attended by the TrinaTracker. The global leading tracker solution provider took the opportunity to explain the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Solar industry.
Oscar Aira, Head of Solutions Sales AMEA, was also present at this event and brought to the debate the question “How to Increase Energy Production with Artificial Intelligence?”.
The professional illustrated the role that artificial intelligence plays in solar trackers to maximize energy production and minimize O&M costs. In his opinion, “mounting systems are not any more well-calculated structures that face the sun”.
Nowadays “there are state-of-the-art solar trackers that included effective and accurate communications components that exchange information to define optimum tracking angles defined by smart tracking algorithms without human intervention”, he affirms.
The Trina Tracker proprietary self-learning, self-decision making, “SuperTrack Smart Control Monitoring System” was one of the examples that the Head of Solutions Sales AMEA explored.
The combination of algorithms
“SuperTrack includes a Smart Tracking algorithm that increases energy production by up to 3% to 8% compared with the conventional algorithms”, highlights Oscar Aira. Regarding its functioning, “it combines Smart Tracking (STA) and Smart Backtracking (SBA) algorithms to enhance energy yield, particularly during periods of overcast weather, highly diffuse irradiance, and complex, uneven terrains”.
The STA’s function consists in “optimizing the power production for bifacial modules in highly diffuse irradiance conditions considering the 12 different parameters included in the Trina Bifacial Irradiation Model”. This way it’s possible to achieve “a more significant quantity of information than the data obtained by the only four parameters used by astronomical algorithms”. Moreover, STA “reduces tracker rotation times, extending the durability of the motors”.
SBA, for its part, “minimizes energy generation losses resulting from row-to-row shading in PV plants installed in terrains with multiple slopes”. This system is compounded by “a UAV sensing technology and power generation data that simulate landscapes and shadings three-dimensionally”. As well as “by a machine learning algorithm and the Mini-Shading proprietary model that defines with precision the optimal backtracking angle”.
Pyranometers and snow sensors are other components of the SuperTrack smart control system, in which data is shared between NCUs. Thanks to that “if a sensor fails, the trackers’ operation is not affected, and energy production remains high”. In extreme weather conditions, we can also count on the actively responsive protection strategies of the SuperTrack.
The Trina Smart Cloud
During Genera 2022 there was also the opportunity to present the TrinaTracker smart Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Trina Smart Cloud. In the words of Oscar Aira, “this is an intelligent solution that minimizes power loss, improves system performance, and leads to a reduction of Operation and Management (O&M) activities, time, and costs”.
The brand’s website shares that Trina Smart Cloud offers remote real-time monitoring and control, integrated alarm protection, and fault diagnosis. As well as O&M suggestions to forecast system performance and pre-warning O&M instructions. Without forgetting the smart online analysis of operating states, the customized development, and the integration with intelligent cleaning robots.
Trina Smart Cloud enables reliable and accurate operations across a wide range of weather conditions and increases productivity from preventive diagnosis and O&M suggestions relying on comprehensive and reliable data analysis to ensure the stable operation of the whole PV station.
The Vanguard 1P tracker
TrinaTracker also participated in Genera 2022 as an exhibitor. The company showcased its recently launched Vanguard 1P tracker, with a design that allows easy and fast assembly and achieves robustness while saving steel by integrating a dual-damper system and a rounded edge torque tube.
About the technical particularities of this system, we can share that the Vanguard 1P tracker is composed of a single-row tracker, it’s compatible with bifacial and ultra-high power modules +670W, and includes 90 modules per tracker. The system, with slope tolerance up to 20º N-S, is also compatible with cleaning robots.
Marisa González, Global Marketing Manager at TrinaTracker, commented on the novelty to Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Prime Minister during his visit to the exhibition.
