Solar systems only produce power when the sun is shining. The more directly the sun hits the panels, the more electricity the system will produce. The direction of the sun varies greatly over the course of the day. In addition, the sun’s angle varies according to the season. For a fixed system, like a roof-mount, the orientation of the panels is set. The exact angle and pitch is a function of the roof and is not optimized for the full range of the sun’s movement across the sky.

Tracker systems, in contrast, are designed to follow the path of the sun. The solar panels are mounted to the tracker, which has an integrated motor drive and gear system that moves the panels every few minutes to keep them oriented directly toward the sun. This allows the panels to be optimized to maintain peak power output during the entire daylight period. By following the sun during the day and adjusting the orientation for the different seasons, an AllEarth Solar Tracker can generate up to 45% more energy than a fixed system of the same size.