Solar tracker
![8-megawatt PV plant using horizontal single axis tracker, Greece[1]](/Images/godic/202502/12/8MW_horizontal_single_axis_tracker_in_Greece3829.JPG"){kind=tracking}
![The effective collection area of a flat-panel solar collector varies with the cosine of the misalignment of the panel with the Sun.](/Images/godic/202502/12/SolarPanel_alignment3829.png")
![3-megawatt CPV plant using dual axis trackers in Golmud, China[16]200-kilowatt CPV modules on dual axis tracker in Qingdao, China[17]](/Images/godic/202502/12/3_MW_CPV_project_in_Golmud,_China3829.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202502/12/CPV_dual_axis_tracker3829.JPG"){kind=tracking}
A solar tracker is a device that orients a payload toward the Sun. Payloads are usually solar panels, parabolic troughs, fresnel reflectors, mirrors or lenses.
For flat-panel photovoltaic systems, trackers are used to minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming sunlight and a photovoltaic panel. This increases the amount of energy produced from a fixed amount of installed power generating capacity. In standard photovoltaic applications, it was predicted in 2008-2009 that trackers could be used in at least 85% of commercial installations greater than one megawatt from 2009 to 2012. However, as of April 2014, there is not any data to support these predictions.