Linear Actuators for Solar Tracking Systems

Actuators in the Solar Industry

Solar energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy on Earth. With the increasing focus on clean energy, the demand for solar energy devices has grown in recent years. Solar-powered devices are used in residential, commercial, and farm setups to meet increasing power requirements and sustainability goals. Solar panels are the most common features of these devices and they harness the power of solar energy by aligning themselves with the sun’s position throughout the day. These devices are equipped with solar tracker actuators that enable solar panels to set an optimal angle relative to the sun, ensuring they receive sunlight during the day. These solar panel actuators help harvest sunlight effectively during various times when the sun’s angle is quite low. At Venture Manufacturing, we understand the importance of solar tracking system actuators, which is why we design them with precision. Our actuators ensure technical precision and control, stability, possess high load-bearing capacities, and seamless integration in solar tracking devices. Contact us today to learn more about our capabilities in designing and engineering solar tracking actuators.

Industry Challenges and Requirements

• Accuracy and Control: Accurate tracking of sunlight is important to maximize solar energy harvest. Achieving technical precision is a key challenge with many linear actuators because they restrict the movement of solar actuators in one direction. Linear actuators for solar trackers must be designed to assure technical accuracy and control.
• Robustness: Solar tracking systems are exposed to challenging weather conditions, such as UV radiation, rain, dust, corrosion, high temperatures, and so on. The solar actuators must possess robust construction to withstand these environmental factors.
• Reliability and Maintenance: : If solar tracking systems require high maintenance, they may disrupt the energy generation process. Hence, linear actuators must be designed to withstand wear and tear and require minimal maintenance.
• Power Consumption: If not properly controlled, the linear actuators may collide with other structures nearby or with the ground. To avoid this, linear actuators must be designed to operate with advanced controls.
• Potential Interference: The standard solar acme actuators are known for their super-hold, high-static-hold capacity, which makes them suitable for various solar tracking applications.
• Safety: Solar trackers are generally equipped with features that help ensure the safety of people operating it. Similarly, the actuators must be equipped with safety features to prevent damages and accidents in case of emergencies or malfunctions.
• Component Integration: Linear actuators must be integrated seamlessly with solar tracking systems, including controllers, sensors, and power sources. Establishing communication and compatibility between components is important. Hence, the linear actuators must be designed to ensure compatibility with these components.

• Our electric linear actuators for solar panels help optimize their energy production by facilitating their precise and accurate tracking throughout the day.
• These solar actuators feature robust construction that ensures their long service life and reliability. Our solar tracking actuators are proven to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as high winds, increasing temperatures, rain, snowfall and acid rain, among others.
• We understand the importance of solar tracking systems in different applications. This is why we focus on designs of electric linear actuators for solar trackers with minimal maintenance requirements.
• Electric linear actuators consume energy only when they are being operated. This is an essential factor in solar tracking systems, where minimal energy consumption is necessary to ensure energy efficiency.
• Our linear actuators for solar trackers are customizable and they can be easily adapted to the requirements of double-axis and single-axis trackers, depending on your application requirements.
• Electric linear actuators can be used in large-scale and small-scale solar tracking systems, and are scalable, too.
• These linear actuators for solar panels are more environmentally friendly compared to the regular pneumatic or hydraulic systems, because they do not leak oil or contaminate the environment in any other way.

Applications of Solar Tracking Actuators

We regularly design solar tracking actuators for the following applications.

• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV): These plants use lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight on a solar cell or a receiver.
• Single-axis and Dual-axis Trackers: These trackers are designed for tilting solar panels in horizontal and vertical directions. Single-axis trackers rotate the panel around one axis, whereas the dual-axis trackers rotate them around two axes. We generally design single-axis tracker actuators for clients who use them in cloudy areas or are looking for budget-friendly tracking systems. Dual-axis tracking system actuators are designed for areas where compact spaces are available or where limited power capacity is required for the grid connections.
• CSP Using Heliostats: Some concentrating solar power systems (CSPs) use heliostats, which converge the light reflected by multiple mirrors at one point. Light converged at a single point has an intensity to produce steam to drive a turbine. The mirrors in these systems are rotated and tilted in the direction of sunlight from long distances and the captured light is directed to a single collector. We can design actuators for comprehensive solar tracking systems used across industrial and commercial facilities.
• Pellet Heaters: These heaters traditionally used biomass or wood pellets to generate heat in homes or industrial facilities. Nowadays, they are equipped with solar heaters that capture solar energy for heating. We can design solar tracking actuators with high IP ratings, which can withstand environmental conditions and promote heat efficiency in pellet heaters.
• Variable-Pitch Wind Turbines: These devices feature pitch systems, which adjusts the blades of the wind turbine as per the direction of the wind. They also control the speed of the rotor. Overall, the pitch systems help amplify the energy extraction capabilities of a wind turbine by adjusting their blade angles. We can design solar tracking actuators for variable-pitch wind turbines, irrespective of whether your application is installed off-shore or on-shore.

Want to develop energy-efficient solar tracking actuators? Do you have any questions regarding our design and engineering service capabilities? As one of the leading solar actuator manufacturers committed to quality, sustainability, and efficiency, we have had the privilege of serving several clients like you. Our experts have been answering queries and helping these clients build effective solar linear actuators for over 40 years. Contact us today!