The Role of Patent Licensing in MSME Development

Overview

Solar panels generate maximum electricity only when sunlight hits them directly. However, the sun’s position changes continuously during the day and also shifts across seasons during the year.

The Problem

Most solar installations today use one of the following systems:

• Fixed-tilt panels – mounted at a permanent angle
• Single-axis trackers – move panels only from East to West

These approaches create several limitations:

1. Loss of energy production
2. Panels cannot face the sun properly all year. Even single-axis trackers miss the seasonal North-South movement of the sun, reducing total power generation.
3. Inefficiency during winter and seasonal transitions
4. When the sun is lower in the sky, sunlight strikes panels at poor angles, causing significant drop in output.
5. Dual-axis trackers are impractical at scale
6. Existing two-axis systems can solve the angle problem but introduce new issues:

• Heavy structures
• Complex moving parts
• High installation cost
• Expensive maintenance
• Limited number of panels per actuator

1. High operating and maintenance burden
2. Traditional systems use torque tubes, gearboxes, and multiple motors. These components increase failure points, downtime, and repair cost — especially in large solar farms and remote locations.
3. Large solar plants require simpler mechanics
4. Utility-scale projects need a system that:

• Moves many panels using minimal power
• Works reliably in wind and uneven terrain
• Is easy to transport and assemble

In Simple Terms

The industry lacks a practical solution that can fully follow the sun in both directions while still remaining affordable, simple, and reliable for large solar farms.

Current systems force a trade-off:

• Cheap systems → lower energy generation
• Accurate systems → too complex and costly

The invention addresses this gap by targeting the need for full sun tracking without the complexity and cost of conventional dual-axis trackers.

Overview

The invention provides a practical two-axis solar tracking structure that allows solar panels to follow the sun throughout the day and across seasons, while remaining simple, lightweight, and suitable for large-scale solar plants.

The Solution

Instead of using heavy rotating shafts, gearboxes, or complex pivot mechanisms found in traditional dual-axis trackers, the invention uses a smart mechanical arrangement that converts straight-line motion into controlled panel rotation.

The system is built around a supported frame mounted on pillars. Two moving beams — an upper beam and a lower beam — are driven by actuators. These beams do not directly rotate the panels. Instead, they transfer motion through struts, flexible brackets, and joints arranged in a four-bar linkage structure.

• The upper beam moves in a straight line and rotates the solar modules from East to West (daily tracking).
• The lower beam slides between supporting pillars and tilts the entire frame North to South (seasonal tracking).

Because motion is transmitted through linkages rather than heavy rotating shafts, the system can move multiple panels using minimal force and fewer drive components.

How it Solves the Industry Gap

• Achieves dual-axis tracking without complex rotating assemblies
• Reduces number of motors required to operate many panels
• Allows linear actuators to move large structures efficiently
• Simplifies installation and maintenance
• Maintains structural stability and wind resistance

Operational Principle

1. Actuators push or pull the beams in straight motion
2. Linkages convert this motion into angular rotation
3. Panels automatically face the sun at optimal angles
4. A programmed controller manages tracking automatically

Practical Result

The invention delivers near full sun-following capability while keeping the mechanical design simple and scalable. It enables higher energy generation compared to fixed and single-axis systems, but without the cost and complexity normally associated with traditional dual-axis trackers.

Claim-Based Core Idea

Claim 1 protects a solar tracker where linear movement of an upper beam rotates the panels in the East-West direction, and translation of a lower beam rotates the frame in the North-South direction through a four-bar linkage mechanism supported on pillars.

Yes — the invention addresses a significant gap in existing solar tracking technology.

The Gap in Prior Art

The solar industry currently faces a trade-off between performance and practicality:

1. Single-axis trackers (widely used)

• Track the sun only from East to West
• Cannot adjust for seasonal North-South movement
• Result: noticeable annual energy loss, especially in winter and transition months

1. Conventional dual-axis trackers (technically accurate)

• Provide better sun alignment
• But introduce major drawbacks:
• Heavy rotating structures
• Gearboxes and torque tubes
• Multiple motors and drive shafts
• High installation and maintenance cost
• Limited scalability for large solar farms

Because of these issues, utility-scale solar plants typically avoid true dual-axis systems despite their efficiency benefits.

Core Industry Gap

There has been no practical solution that delivers:

• Full or near-full sun tracking accuracy
• Mechanical simplicity
• Low operating cost
• Suitability for large-scale deployment

In short:

The market lacked a dual-axis performance system with single-axis level practicality and economics.

How the Invention Bridges the Gap

The invention replaces complex rotational mechanisms with a linear-motion four-bar linkage structure that:

• Enables both East-West and North-South tracking
• Uses fewer drive components
• Moves multiple panels with minimal force
• Simplifies installation and maintenance

Result

It closes the long-standing gap between high-efficiency tracking and commercially viable large-scale solar deployment by combining dual-axis tracking capability with simplified mechanical architecture.