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Clarify AOI-minimizing principle in tracking.singleaxis docstring #2869

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kandersolar merged 5 commits into from
Oct 5, 2026
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Clarify AOI-minimizing principle in tracking.singleaxis docstring #2869

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Clarify AOI-minimizing principle in tracking.singleaxis docstring
chenyi6758-source Sep 28, 2026
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4 changes: 4 additions & 0 deletions docs/sphinx/source/whatsnew/v0.16.2.rst
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Expand Up @@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ Enhancements

Documentation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Clarified in :py:func:`pvlib.tracking.singleaxis` that the tracker
rotation minimizes the angle of incidence (AOI) to maximize the use of
direct normal irradiance (DNI). (:issue:`2314`, :pull:`2869`)


Testing
Expand All @@ -43,3 +46,4 @@ Maintenance
Contributors
~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Chen Yi (:ghuser:`chenyi6758-source`)
9 changes: 7 additions & 2 deletions pvlib/tracking.py
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Expand Up @@ -18,8 +18,13 @@ def singleaxis(apparent_zenith, solar_azimuth,
Determine the rotation angle of a single-axis tracker when given particular
solar zenith and azimuth angles.

See [1]_ and [2]_ for details about the equations. Backtracking may be
specified, in which case a ground coverage ratio is required.
The rotation angle is chosen to minimize the angle of incidence (AOI) of
the sun's beam onto the panel, thereby maximizing the use of direct
normal irradiance (DNI). Backtracking may be specified, in which case
a ground coverage ratio is required. When backtracking, the rotation is
adjusted away from the AOI-minimizing angle to avoid row-to-row shading.

See [1]_ and [2]_ for details about the equations.

Rotation angle is determined in a right-handed coordinate system. The
tracker ``axis_azimuth`` defines the positive y-axis, the positive x-axis
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