Technical-economic evaluation of various photovoltaic tracking systems considering carbon emission trading

Renewable energy generation plays a crucial role in mitigating global climate change and achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets. Photovoltaic (PV) power is an important component of renewable energy generation. With China's commitment to meet its dual carbon targets on time, the application of PV tracking systems, which significantly increase the amount of PV power generated, has become a trend for the future. However, the suitability of PV tracking systems varies significantly between regions. This paper aims to assess and compare the technical and economic performance of PV systems using different PV tracking systems in six different latitude regions in China under the consideration of carbon trading. By utilizing the PVsyst software, the monthly/yearly unit electricity generation of different tracking systems in each region is calculated. Furthermore, the technical and economic performance of these systems is assessed by computing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), net present value (NPV), and discounted payback period (DPP) with and without carbon benefits, taking into account sensitivity analyses. The results indicate that the dual-axis tracking (DAT) system achieves the highest electricity generation, providing a gain of 17.94 %–31.52 % compared to the fixed-tilt (FT) system. The horizontal axis tracking North-South (HATNS) system and the tilted-axis tracking (TAT) system are probably the most economically viable systems in areas with high radiation levels, with NPV values 2.02 %–25.55 % and 6.44 %–19.45 % higher, respectively, compared to the FT system. The introduction of carbon benefits significantly increases the economic viability of all tracking systems.