The Impact of Sun Tracking on the Reliability of Solar Inverters

This paper explores the impact of sun-tracking systems on the reliability of PV inverters from a wear-out perspective. Besides reliability analysis, the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for different sun-tracking systems is calculated considering the replacement of PV inverters subjected to wear-out failures. The outcomes are beneficial for design for reliability, system-level planning, and economical design optimization in PV systems considering the trade-off between the obtained energy and the reliability. Simulations on a residential PV system show that even though the obtained energy is increased by sun-tracking systems, the inverter reliability and lifetime is limited compared to the fixed panels. Furthermore, the LCOE under different tracking systems depends on the replacement time and the project lifespan. Numerical analysis on a residential PV inverter illustrates the impact of different factors on the selection of a sun-tracking system for PV applications.