Systems for and methods of positioning solar panels in an array of solar panels to efficiently capture sunlight

US12461183B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-12461183-B2
Application numberUS-202418795756-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateAug 6, 2024
Priority dateJul 7, 2017
Publication dateNov 4, 2025
Grant dateNov 4, 2025

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A solar tracking system comprises multiple solar panel modules forming a grid of solar panel modules, wherein the multiple solar panel modules are orientatable to a solar source independently of each other; and a control system configured to orient each of the multiple solar panel modules to the solar source independently of each other based on a performance model to optimize an energy output from the grid of solar panel modules, wherein the performance model predicts an energy output from the grid of solar panel modules based on a topography of the area containing the grid of solar panel modules and weather conditions local to each of the solar panel modules.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1 . A method of initializing a solar tracking system comprising multiple rows of solar panel modules forming a grid of solar panel modules, each of the multiple rows of solar panel modules having a corresponding photovoltaic, each of the multiple rows of solar panel modules independently orientatable to a solar source, the method comprising: determining a performance model for maximizing an energy output from the grid of solar panel modules, the performance model having control parameters generated from first data, wherein the control parameters are adjusted based on diffuse fraction over predetermined time periods; and transmitting to each of the multiple rows of solar panel modules orientation commands based on the performance model. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data comprise a topography of an area containing the multiple rows of solar panel modules. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diffuse fraction is based on shading between adjacent ones of the multiple rows of solar panel modules. 4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the topography. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the topography is determined by laser surveying, aerial surveying, tracking the solar source using energy sensed on the multiple photovoltaics, tracking the solar source using energy sensed on the multiple rows of solar panel modules, or any combination thereof. 6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the aerial surveying comprises airplane surveys, drone surveys, satellite surveys, helicopter surveys, or any combination thereof.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • specially adapted for solar tracking · CPC title

  • Calibration means; Methods for initial positioning of solar concentrators or solar receivers · CPC title

  • Mountings or tracking · CPC title

  • Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

  • Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

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What does patent US12461183B2 cover?
A solar tracking system comprises multiple solar panel modules forming a grid of solar panel modules, wherein the multiple solar panel modules are orientatable to a solar source independently of each other; and a control system configured to orient each of the multiple solar panel modules to the solar source independently of each other based on a performance model to optimize an energy output f…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Nextracker Llc
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification G01S3/7861. Mapped technology areas include Physics.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Nov 04 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 3 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).