Low-cost, high-reliability sun sensor that determines the position of the sun for solar panels

In order to optimize the collection of solar energy many initiatives are considering the use of solar concentrators. Efficient use of a solar concentrator requires that the solar energy must be correctly focused over time. For that reason the collectors need to be adjusted constantly in order to track the solar movement. For fixed installations, this can initially be performed by means of ‘dead reckoning’ but this solution is far from optimal.
A dedicated sensor that determines the position of the sun unambiguously and reliably for each panel would be a much better solution, allowing the use of cheaper overall constructions and less complicated optical systems. For obvious reasons these sun sensors should be low-cost but very reliable. The sun sensors developed by Lens R&D are based on many years of development at TNO for the worldwide satellite market and optimized for high reliability low-cost volume production.