Comparison of energy production between fixed-mount and tracking systems of solar PV systems in Jakarta, Indonesia

The potential of solar irradiation is different from place to place around the world. Before installing the physical PV system at a particular place, it is necessary to assess the solar radiation potential and radiation characteristics. The amount of energy production is one of the most important key performances of a PV system. The level of energy production is affected directly by the amount of irradiation received by PV modules. Conventional PV systems are commonly installed with a fixed-mount system where the angle of incidence of radiation on solar modules changes over time. Solar irradiation would be optimally received by solar modules if the angle of incidence was kept at zero degrees, i.e., radiation was perpendicular to the surface of the modules. This condition can be achieved by employing a solar tracker system for solar modules. This paper studies the comparison of the energy output between fixed-mount PV systems and those with solar tracking in the urban area of Jakarta, Indonesia. The studies were carried out using Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) online simulation tools. The objective of the study was to compare and work out the specific energy output between the optimized fixed-mount installation (without a tracking system) and the system with solar tracking. In general, the results showed that the specific energy output of a fixed-mount PV system in Jakarta was about 1379 kWh/kWp per year, while for the system with a solar tracking system, the specific energy production was about 1672 kWh/kWp. The information found is expected to be a useful reference for the development and promotion of solar energy, particularly in Indonesia.