The Role of Patent Licensing in MSME Development

The Problem the Invention Addresses

Solar panels generate the most electricity when they directly face the sun. However, the sun’s position constantly changes — it moves across the sky during the day and shifts north-south across seasons throughout the year. Most solar installations cannot continuously maintain the best angle toward the sun.

Today, the industry mainly uses three types of mounting approaches:

1. Fixed-tilt structures
2. Panels remain at one angle all year.

• Simple and low cost
• But they lose a large amount of potential energy because they are rarely aligned with the sun

1. Single-axis trackers (commonly used in utility solar plants)
2. Panels rotate only east-west during the day.

• Improves generation compared to fixed systems
• Still inefficient during mornings, evenings, and seasonal shifts (winter vs summer)

1. Traditional dual-axis trackers
2. Panels follow the sun in both daily and seasonal directions.

• Best energy output
• However, they are mechanically complex, heavy, expensive, and difficult to maintain at large scale

Because of this, solar developers face a major trade-off:

• Affordable systems → lower energy output
• High-performance systems → too costly and complicated

As solar tariffs decline worldwide, projects must produce more electricity per installed megawatt to remain financially viable. The industry needs a solution that delivers near dual-axis performance without the cost, weight, and maintenance burden of conventional dual-axis machines.

In simple terms:

There is no practical system today that combines high energy generation with low mechanical complexity and scalable cost. This gap directly impacts project profitability, land usage efficiency, and long-term operational reliability in large solar farms.

The invention is designed specifically to solve this performance-versus-cost conflict.

The Invention — The Solution to the Problem

The invention provides a mechanically simplified dual-axis solar tracking system that automatically keeps solar panels aligned with the sun throughout the day and across seasons, while remaining practical for large-scale solar installations.

Instead of using heavy rotating platforms, complex gearboxes, or large torque tubes like conventional dual-axis trackers, the system uses a smart structural arrangement that converts simple linear movement into controlled panel rotation.

How the Solution Works

The solar modules are mounted on a frame supported by ground-fixed pillars. Two independent movements are created:

1. East-West (daily sun movement)
2. A rail beam and actuator move linearly and rotate the module frame horizontally so the panels follow the sun from morning to evening.
3. North-South (seasonal sun movement)
4. A second rail beam connected through struts adjusts the tilt angle of the frame, allowing seasonal alignment as the sun shifts across the year.

These motions are achieved through a four-bar linkage mechanism, which transforms actuator motion into smooth angular movement. Spherical joints allow flexibility and maintain alignment even on uneven terrain.

A microcontroller-based control system automatically positions the panels using programmed solar path calculations. Multiple tracker rows can be synchronized, reducing control and drive complexity.

Key Characteristics of the Solution

• Dual-direction tracking using simple linear actuators
• Mechanical linkage replacing complex rotating machinery
• Balanced structural geometry for stability
• Modular construction suitable for large solar farms
• Automatic sun-tracking control

Result

The invention delivers the energy-capture advantages of dual-axis tracking while avoiding the cost, weight, and maintenance challenges that previously prevented widespread deployment at utility scale.

In practical terms, it bridges the gap between low-cost single-axis trackers and high-performance dual-axis systems by combining improved energy yield with scalable installation economics.

The Gap in Prior Art

Existing solar mounting technologies force project developers to choose between performance and practicality:

• Fixed-tilt systems
• Low cost and simple, but large energy losses because panels cannot follow the sun.
• Single-axis trackers (industry standard)
• Track the sun only during the day (east–west).
• They still lose substantial energy during mornings, evenings, and seasonal changes when the sun’s height varies.
• Conventional dual-axis trackers
• Provide the best energy output by following the sun in both directions.
• However, they rely on heavy rotating structures, gear mechanisms, and complex drive systems.
• As a result, they are:
• Expensive to manufacture and install
• Difficult to maintain
• Structurally heavy and less reliable for large solar farms

Because of these limitations, dual-axis tracking has not been widely adopted at utility scale despite its energy advantage.

The Missing Solution

The industry lacked a system that could:

• Deliver near dual-axis energy performance
• Maintain mechanical simplicity
• Be cost-effective for large solar plants
• Reduce maintenance and structural complexity

How the Invention Fills the Gap

The patented system introduces a structurally simplified dual-axis tracker using a linkage-based mechanism and linear actuation instead of complex rotating machinery. This enables dual-direction solar alignment while remaining practical and scalable for commercial deployment.

In short:

The gap was the absence of a commercially viable, large-scale dual-axis tracking solution combining high energy yield with manageable cost and mechanical simplicity — which this invention directly resolves.