Solar Trackers: How Solar Tracking Systems Boost Energy Output, and When They Fit Hawaii

By Alternate Energy Hawaii · Last updated: October 29, 2026

Quick answer: A solar tracker is a mount that turns solar panels to follow the sun across the sky. Single-axis trackers produce about 15–35% more energy than fixed-tilt panels, and dual-axis trackers about 25–50% more (University of Michigan). Trackers are standard on large solar farms, including several in Hawaii, but most Oʻahu homes do better with a well-designed fixed rooftop system.

Trackers now sit under almost every new large solar farm in the U.S., and several utility-scale projects here on Oʻahu use them. Homeowners and business owners naturally ask the next question: would a tracker help my system too? Alternate Energy Hawaii has installed solar in Hawaii since 1993, with more than 59 MW across the islands. Below we explain how solar tracking works, how much extra energy it really produces, and why most Hawaii homes still do better with a fixed system.

What Is a Solar Tracker?

A solar tracker, sometimes called a solar array tracker, is a racking system with motors, gears and a controller that tilts solar panels toward the sun throughout the day. A standard rooftop system is fixed: its panels stay at the angle and direction of your roof. A tracker rotates the panels from east to west as the sun moves, and some designs also adjust for the sun's height as the seasons change.

Panels produce the most power when sunlight hits them head-on. The longer a panel faces the sun directly, the more energy it collects. Here's how solar radiation is measured, and how photovoltaic panels turn sunlight into power.

How Does a Solar Tracking System Work?

A solar tracking system has three working parts:

• The racking: a torque tube or frame that holds a row of panels and pivots.
• The drive: motors and gears that rotate the row.
• The controller: electronics that calculate where the sun is and set the panel angle, and that move the panels to a safe position in high wind.

Sun tracking solar panels start the day tilted east, swing through flat around midday, and finish facing west. Fixed panels can't do that, so they lose output early and late in the day.

How Do Solar Trackers Improve Yield?

Over fixed-tilt systems, tracking typically raises energy production by about 15–35% with single-axis trackers and 25–50% with dual-axis trackers, according to the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems. The same source notes that tracking has become increasingly attractive for ground-mounted systems despite upfront cost premiums, and that 99% of new U.S. capacity used tracking in 2024 (University of Michigan CSS).

The gain comes from three places:

• A wider production curve. A fixed panel peaks around midday. A tracker turns to meet the morning and late-afternoon sun, so output stays high for more of the day.
• More energy from the same panels. You get more kilowatt-hours by changing where the panels point, without adding panels.
• A better match to evening demand. Stronger late-afternoon production lines up more closely with when homes and businesses use the most power.

Your actual gain depends on latitude, cloud patterns, shading, terrain and tracker type, which is why published figures cover such a wide range. Small consumer kits often advertise the top of the range; real-world gains on a cloudy or shaded site land lower.

Types of Solar Trackers

Single-axis trackers

Single-axis trackers rotate on one axis, usually running north to south, so panels swing from east to west during the day. They're simpler, cheaper to build and easier to maintain than dual-axis units, and they dominate utility-scale solar.

Dual-axis trackers

Dual-axis trackers follow both the sun's daily path and its seasonal height, so they aim more precisely. The trade-off is more moving parts, more space and higher installation and service costs. You'll see them mostly in specialty, research and concentrated-solar projects, and in small off-grid kits.

Output gains: University of Michigan CSS.

Solar Trackers in Hawaii: Where They're Already Working

Trackers are already part of Hawaii's grid at utility scale. Tracker maker Soltec announced in December 2022 that it would supply 2,068 of its SF7 trackers for a 56 MW project on Oʻahu with 108,192 PV modules, bringing its total tracker supply for Hawaii projects to 210 MW (Soltec). Soltec says the design suits steep slopes and limited space, conditions that are common on the islands.

All of these projects share open land, large arrays and professional crews to maintain the moving parts. Most homes don't have those.

Is a Solar Tracker Worth It for a Hawaii Home?

For a typical Oʻahu home, usually not. The reasons are practical:

• Your roof doesn't move. Rooftop trackers are rare. They add weight and wind load and complicate roof penetrations.
• Wind and salt air. Motors and bearings exposed to trade winds and coastal corrosion need more frequent service.
• Space. Ground-mount trackers need open yard space with good row spacing, which most residential lots don't have.
• Permits and interconnection. Ground-mount and non-standard equipment can add steps to county permitting and Hawaiian Electric review.
• Better value elsewhere. The money a tracker costs usually buys more benefit as extra panels, better modules or battery storage.

Under Hawaiian Electric's current programs, when you use your solar energy often matters as much as how much you produce. A battery such as a Tesla Powerwall stores daytime production for the evening and for outages. It moves your energy into the hours when it's worth most, much like a tracker's late-afternoon boost. See how panels, inverters and batteries work together in our overview of how solar works with AEI, and our battery storage and 2026 BYOD Plus guide for programs that reward storage.

What About Commercial Properties on Oʻahu?

Commercial owners sometimes have open land or large parking areas, which makes tracking at least worth a look. Even so, most commercial projects on Oʻahu use fixed rooftop arrays or solar carports. These use space that's already built on, keep maintenance predictable, and make project costs easier to forecast. A tracker deserves a closer financial comparison only when you have suitable open ground and enough array size to cover the extra equipment and upkeep. See commercial solar in Hawaii.

Where Solar Tracking Is Heading

Trackers have become the default for large U.S. solar farms: 99% of new U.S. capacity used tracking in 2024 (University of Michigan CSS). Growth comes from clean energy targets, steady investment in large solar farms where every extra kilowatt-hour per panel matters, and smarter controls that adjust panel angles for weather, wind and shading. What holds trackers back is the same list that keeps them off homes: upfront cost, more complex installation, maintenance of moving parts, and space needs that rule out rooftops and tight lots.

Getting the Most From a Fixed Rooftop System

If a tracker isn't the right fit, you can still get strong production from your property:

• Smart layout. Put solar panels on the roof planes with the best sun exposure and the least shade.
• Roof condition first. A sound roof means you won't have to remove panels later for repairs. Our in-house crews handle roofing as well as solar.
• Battery storage. Shift daytime energy into the evening and keep essentials running during outages.
• Monitoring and maintenance. Catch a drop in production early instead of months later with solar maintenance.

For home systems, see residential solar in Hawaii.

Incentives and Tax Credits in 2026

Solar incentives changed over the past year. The 30% federal residential clean energy credit (Section 25D) isn't allowed for expenditures made after December 31, 2025 (IRS). In Hawaii, Act 24 (SB 3125), signed May 21, 2026, puts a site-specificillion annual cap on the Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit and ends the credit after the 2029 tax year (Act 24). The Hawaii Department of Taxation explains how the cap and its exemptions work in Tax Information Release 2026-02.

What you qualify for depends on your timing and your system. Our guide to Hawaii solar tax credits and incentives covers the details, and a qualified tax professional can tell you how the rules apply to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much more power does a solar tracker produce?

Compared with fixed-tilt panels, single-axis trackers typically produce about 15–35% more energy and dual-axis trackers about 25–50% more, according to the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems. Actual results depend on location, weather, shading and terrain.

How do solar trackers improve yield?

A tracker keeps the panels pointed closer to the sun all day, so sunlight hits them more directly in the morning and late afternoon, when fixed panels are angled away. That widens the daily production curve and gets more kilowatt-hours from the same panels.

Is a solar tracker worth it for a home?

Rarely. For most homes, especially on Oʻahu rooftops, the money is better spent on extra panels, quality equipment or battery storage. Trackers make the most sense on large ground-mount projects with open land and crews to maintain the moving parts.

Can you put solar trackers on a roof?

It's uncommon. Trackers add weight, wind load and moving parts to a roof, and they complicate penetrations and permitting. Nearly all trackers are ground-mounted.

Is a single-axis or dual-axis tracker better?

Dual-axis trackers aim more precisely and produce more. Single-axis trackers are simpler, cheaper and easier to maintain, which is why nearly all new U.S. utility-scale solar uses them.

Are solar trackers used in Hawaii?

Yes, at utility scale. Tracker maker Soltec supplied 2,068 single-axis trackers for a 56 MW solar project on Oʻahu and says it has supplied about 210 MW of trackers for projects across Hawaii.

Do solar trackers need more maintenance?

Yes. Motors, bearings and controllers need regular service, and Hawaii's trade winds and salt air add wear. Fixed racking has no moving parts, so it needs the least upkeep.

What does a solar tracker cost compared with fixed racking?

Trackers carry an upfront cost premium over fixed racking because of the motors, controls and extra land they need, and they add ongoing maintenance. Whether the added energy pays for that depends on the site, so pricing and payback are always project-specific.

Talk With a Local Solar Team

Solar trackers play a big part in how utility-scale plants generate electricity, including here in Hawaii. The best system for your home or building depends on your roof, your land and your goals. Our in-house crews have designed and installed solar in Hawaii for more than three decades, we're a Tesla Premier Installer, and we hold Hawaii contractor license C-26041. Request a free solar estimate or call (808) 842-5853.