TU Graz's Foldable and Tracking Solar System Delivers up to 56 Percent More Electricity

Higher Yield in Morning and Evening Hours

The advantage is particularly pronounced in the morning and evening hours, when the sun is low and general electricity consumption is especially high. According to Buchroither, the additional electricity yield at the edges of the day is decisive for the system's economic viability: "Morgens und abends, wenn der allgemeine Stromverbrauch besonders hoch ist, liefert sie durch das optimale Sonnenstand-Tracking mehr als doppelt so viel Strom wie traditionelle PV-Anlagen, was auch zur Netzentlastung beiträgt", emphasized the Graz-based group leader.

To protect the modules during storms, rain, or hail, the system automatically moves into a safe position. At night and when severe weather is imminent, the PV modules automatically fold together "face-to-face", meaning solar module against solar module, and are stored horizontally—with the rear sides facing outward. This is intended to prevent damage to the sensitive silicon wafers.

Protection During Storms and Hail

According to the researchers, hail is a particular hazard for conventional photovoltaics. "Kompressionen der Silizium-Wafer durch Hageleinschlag können Hotspots verursachen, die durch ihren erhöhten Innenwiderstand den Wirkungsgrad des gesamten Moduls reduzieren", says Buchroithner. The foldable construction is designed to mitigate these risks and thereby also extend the modules' service life.

The combination of tracking and folding mechanism opens up new application possibilities for photovoltaics in the research team's assessment, such as on roofs with unusual geometry or in regions with frequent severe weather. TU Graz sees the development as a contribution to making electricity generation from solar energy more weather-resistant and at the same time higher-yielding.

With the demonstration system on the Inffeldgasse campus, the researchers aim to gather further data on yield, service life, and maintenance requirements in the coming months. Should the results be confirmed, the system could become an alternative to rigid mounting frames according to the team and make photovoltaics more economically viable even on smaller roof surfaces.