Trina Solar Releases TrinaTracker Intelligent Algorithm

Trina Solar, a leading global PV and smart energy total solution provider, has released the TrinaTracker Intelligent Tracking Technology White Paper on SuperTrack. According to the white paper, SuperTrack algorithm has three distinctive technical features, including both smart tracking and backtracking technologies, “Broadcast + Polling” communication strategy, and extreme weather protection techniques. Certified by the authoritative third-party organization CGC (China General Certification) in November 2020, SuperTrack can improve energy gain by 3.08% over the traditional astronomical algorithm.

SuperTrack reduces the LCOE efficiently

This white paper studies the development of solar trackers, current challenges of tracking technology, technical features of SuperTrack and future prospects to explore new standards for the industry.

Under the industry trend of continuous decrease of LCOE (Leveraged cost of electricity) of photovoltaic power, the tracking technology can push the reduction further. SuperTrack, a brand-new intelligent tracking technology independently developed by Trina Solar, making up for the deficiency of the traditional astronomical algorithms, will comprehensively take the weather into consideration, reduce the shading loss due to the position of front and rear modules during the backtracking stages, and fully consider the overall generation performance of the bifacial modules, which will further release the potential of trackers and increase its power generation gain as well as reduce the LCOE efficiently.

SuperTrack achieves a 3.08% rise of energy gain

According to the white paper, SuperTrack is equipped with three core technologies, two core smart algorithms, “broadcast + polling” communication control strategy and extreme weather protection strategy.

First of all, with two core smart algorithms, SuperTrack ensures that the tracking system generates maximum power at any time. Essentially, based on the patented bifacial model technology, weather conditions, and system parameters, SuperTrack can deep-learn high-diffuse irradiance weather and power generation characteristics of bifacial modules to dynamically achieve the optimal tracking angle to continuously increase energy yield. Meanwhile based on Trina Solar’s Slope Model and neural network algorithm, SuperTrack optimizes the tracking angle for complex terrain through three-dimensional modeling of the terrain and iterative simulation, the drone sensor technology for dual verification, and use the Decision Model to determine the optimal tracking angle group with the best output performance.

Secondly, SuperTrack features efficient and stable communication. SuperTrack adopts wireless communication and self-powered technology to reduce the use of communication cables, power cables, related wiring and labor costs. In particular, the “broadcast + polling” communication control strategy is innovatively introduced to ensure communication efficiency and stability.

Last but not the least, SuperTrack enables protection strategies in extreme weather. Relying on the intelligent control of the controller, SuperTrack integrates multiple extreme weather protection strategies targeting strong wind, heavy snow, and hail. SuperTrack also combines wind tunnel testing and CFD simulation to improve the reliability and O&M efficiency of the tracker. SuperTrack integrates the features of smart tracking and backtracking, which significantly improves the processing capacity to respond to various weathers and complex terrains, and further enhances the trackers’ potential in power generation.

“Along with the wide application of bifacial modules, SuperTrack will help the trackers achieve a further jump in energy gain, which will accelerate the reduction of the LCOE and enhance the application of trackers in PV industry in the future.” said by Duan Shunwei, Head of TrinaTracker business unit of Trina Solar.

Zhou Gang, General Manager of Solar Energy Division of CGC, explained, “CGC and Trina solar evaluated the feasibility of SuperTrack algorithm at the initial phase of the project, upon which CGC fully recognized the advanced nature of SuperTrack and designed a targeted empirical solution. During the monitoring process, CGC verified SuperTrack’s data accuracy and effectiveness. “