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3D Backtracking®

3D Backtracking®, embedded in the TCU, is the most advanced algorithm to boost solar energy production, avoiding shading even in the most irregular topographies, developed by Suntrack.

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5.93 %

Capture surface

3D Backtracking® increases capture surface up to 5.93%

As suitable flat project sites have become increasingly scarce, the solar industry has adopted new approaches to minimize inter-row shading and maintain energy yield. A common solution has been to group trackers with uniform slopes and manually adjust tracking parameters to optimize performance.

However, maximizing production in complex and irregular terrain requires a more advanced approach. As the world’s largest independent provider of solar tracker control systems, Suntrack has developed a breakthrough tracking algorithm designed specifically for challenging topographies: 3D Backtracking®. This innovative technology dynamically accounts for terrain variations, enabling greater energy capture and improved plant performance where conventional backtracking methods are limited.

3D Backtracking®
embedded in each TCU

One key aspect of 3D Backtracking®, beyond boosting production gains in irregular terrain, is that it runs locally, embedded in each TCU. Other approaches to avoid shading are based on external systems which broadcast the optimal position for each tracker every few minutes. This approach faces several risks of implementation:

The TCUs will function with only a few dozen registers, so memory requirements are kept to a minimum. The TCU uses those registers to continuously calculate the optimum angle thanks to a transfer function designed to execute quickly and efficiently.

Suntrack TCU tracker control unit, side view
  • Communication losses
  • Additional hardware / software
  • Safety and data integrity Suntrack’s new algorithm only requires data processing before the project is delivered. Once the processing is completed, each TCU will function independently, with no need to be commanded by an external entity.
  • Parameters are embedded in each TCU
  • No need for external commands or additional devices
  • On-site validation of shade elimination
  • Compatible with all kind of trackers (1P, 2P, 3L, dualrow)

3D Backtracking®

The most advanced algorithm to boost energy solar production avoiding shades even in the most irregular topographies