The latest solar tracking technology deployed at Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will boost production capacity by up to 30 per cent, a top official associated with the project said.
The 900MW fifth phase of the solar park uses photovoltaic bifacial technology, which allows solar radiation to reach the front and back of the panels, thereby collecting sunlight from both sides instead of one. This combined with new software that integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning, enables panels to harvest more energy by solving for shading and diffused light conditions that can reduce energy production.
“Innovation in algorithmic solar tracking systems and machine learning software enable solar panels to literally follow the sun and optimise performance,” Hans Sauter, vice-president (Mena), Nextracker – the project’s solar tracking technology and solution provider, told Khaleej Times.
The technology known as TrueCapture, uses machine learning and advanced sensors to maximise performance for efficient energy capture, storage and transmission. TrueCapture complements additional yield generation from ground-reflected light on the rear of the bifacial solar panels.