Technico-Economic Analysis of Solar Tracking (Tracker) and Fixed Photovoltaic Systems: Case Study in Conakry

<jats:p>Background and Aim: The addition of solar tracking systems (trackers) allows for an increase in photovoltaic energy production under tropical climates, as demonstrated in Conakry. However, this performance increase comes with increased mechanical and electronic complexity. Method: This article presents a comparative techno-economic analysis between a fixed system and a single-axis tracker system (60 Wp), integrating capital expenditures (CAPEX), operational and maintenance costs (OPEX), as well as the parasitic consumption of the tracking system. Results: Experimental results show a gross production gain of 40.2%, which reduces to a net real gain of 31.2% once parasitic consumption is deducted. Economically, for a micro-generation application, the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) in an off-grid site is 0.25 USD/kWh for the fixed system compared to 0.45 USD/kWh for the tracker, with a payback period for the latter exceeding 21 years. These results reveal that while the tracker is technically superior, it is only economically viable for installations with a capacity greater than one kilowatt-peak (kWp), due to the incompressible fixed cost of control electronics at a small scale. Conclusion: The study concludes with a recommendation against using trackers for small solar lamps or domestic kits, but advocates for their deployment in rural mini-grids and industrial installations.</jats:p>