solar panel tracking mounts

Warning: curl_setopt() [function.curl-setopt]: CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION cannot be activated when safe_mode is enabled or an open_basedir is set in /home/syntheti/public_html/tooktee.com/wp-content/plugins/affiliate-mage/classes/amazon.class.php on line 1

Which is better for static solar, photovoltaic cells. A tracking system or just a mirror opposite?

The concept of having my photovoltaic cells in an optimal position to get the most of their daily exposure is a good selling point. But the added expense of the tracking system isn’t as attractive as what my dad suggests.
My dad has mirrors mounted on poles to catch & re-direct the morning sun onto his photovoltaic panels mounted on his roof. They are angled to catch most of the afternoon sun.
By the way, my dad doesn’t have an electric bill since he expanded his solar cell panels, the local utility cuts a check for his credit at the end of every month.
I’d like to do the same instead of having to pay the local utilities. He never has to suffer brown-outs during peak hours too.

If you care about warranty, most panels will void the warranty if you concentrate sunlight (use mirrors) on them. I’m not saying it won’t work, and it probbly won’t be horrible as long as you don’t concentrate more than 2x. But watch the panel temperature, too – that can void the warranty.

A tracking system won’t have this problem, but adds complexity, and would be hard to place on a sloped surface like a roof.

It sounds like your father had his mirrors set up only to catch the morning and evening sun, which is good, because the sun is weaker then, anyway.

For the first year of operation, our array was delivering way more than spec. I realized that it could have been due to the white canvas roof of a gazebo nearby, which reflected some light onto the array.