MethodsX (Jan 2022)
twoaxistracking – a python package for simulating self-shading of two-axis tracking solar collectors
Abstract
Self-shading in fields of two-axis tracking collectors typically ranges from 1% to 6% of the annual incident irradiation. It is thus essential to account for shading in order to obtain accurate yield estimates and financing for such solar projects. The present study presents the free and open-source Python package twoaxistracking for simulating self-shading in fields of two-axis tracking collectors. The package is freely available at: https://github.com/pvlib/twoaxistracking. The main steps of the method and mathematical formulation are described. Additionally, a demonstration of how to use the package is presented. The shading calculation method excels over previous methods found in the literature in that it can: • Handle arbitrary aperture geometries and distinguish between the total and active areas. • Account for sloped ground and collectors with different heights within the same field. • Reduce computation time by skipping calculations at high solar elevation angles.
