pvnode
Guides

Tracker Configuration

pvnode supports fixed mounts, single-axis and dual-axis trackers. Tracking is configured site-wide in config.tracking. When a tracking mode is active, every string on the site is treated as tracked — the axis geometry overrides the per-string slope and orientation.

Set type to choose the system:

ValueSystem
fixedNo tracking (fixed mount, default).
single_axisSingle-axis tracker.
dual_axisDual-axis tracker.

Single-axis tracker

With type: "single_axis", the remaining fields in config.tracking define the tracker geometry:

FieldDescriptionRange / default
axis_azimuthCompass direction of the rotation axis.0–360° (180 = south)
axis_tiltTilt of the rotation axis from horizontal.0–90° (default 0)
max_angleMaximum rotation angle from horizontal.0–90° (default 90)
backtrackingReduce row-to-row shading by backtracking at low sun angles.true / false
JSONA south-oriented single-axis tracker with backtracking
{
  "config": {
    "tracking": {
      "type": "single_axis",
      "axis_azimuth": 180,
      "axis_tilt": 0,
      "max_angle": 90,
      "backtracking": true
    }
  }
}

This configures a horizontal north–south axis (axis azimuth 180°, no tilt) with a full ±90° rotation range and backtracking enabled to avoid row shading at low sun angles.

Dual-axis tracker

Set type: "dual_axis". No further configuration is needed — the system automatically tracks the sun for maximum irradiance at every timestep.

JSONDual-axis tracker
{
  "config": {
    "tracking": {
      "type": "dual_axis"
    }
  }
}
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