| CPC H02S 20/32 (2014.12) [H02S 50/00 (2013.01)] | 35 Claims |
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1. A solar tracker control system for a solar tracker installation located on an installation site, the solar tracker installation including a plurality of solar tracker assemblies, each of the plurality of solar tracker assemblies including a table supporting a plurality of photovoltaic modules, the table being rotatable through an angle of inclination range and a drive mechanism coupled to the table for changing a table angle of inclination, the solar tracker control system comprising:
a) a plurality of solar tracker controllers, each solar tracker controller of the plurality of solar tracker controllers associated with a respective different one of the plurality of solar tracker assemblies, each solar tracker controller of the plurality of solar tracker controllers including an actuator for changing the table angle of inclination of the associated solar tracker assembly by actuating the drive mechanism of the associated solar tracker assembly, each solar tracker controller of the plurality of solar tracker controllers periodically transmitting tracker table angle of inclination data and tracker operating data for the associated solar tracker assembly;
b) a plurality of weather sensors, each weather sensor of the plurality of weather sensors periodically transmitting weather condition data;
c) an array controller in direct, wireless communications with: 1) each solar tracker controller of the plurality of solar tracker controllers; and 2) each weather sensor of the plurality of weather sensors;
d) each solar tracker controller of the plurality of solar tracker controllers wirelessly communicating table angle of inclination data and tracker operating data of the associated solar tracker assembly to the array controller and each weather sensor of the plurality of weather sensors wirelessly communicating weather condition data to the array controller; and
e) the array controller analyzing communicated table angle of inclination data, the tracker operating data and the weather condition data and, as required, the array controller wirelessly communicating control signals to one or more solar tracker controllers of the plurality of solar tracker controllers to change the table angle of inclination of the one or more solar tracker assemblies of the plurality of solar tracker assemblies associated with the one or more solar tracker controllers.
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