Patent ID: 7795568

Claim:
An automated method of tracking the sun with a photovoltaic solar cell array of a terrestrial solar cell system, the photovoltaic solar cell array being at a first position at a first time of a day and comprising a first drive element and a second drive element that are respectively controllable to adjust the position of the photovoltaic solar cell array along respective different axes, the method comprising: receiving an input comprising a second time of the day at which tracking of the sun should begin, and the first position of the photovoltaic solar cell array, the first time being before the second time; predicting, with a computer algorithm, a position of the sun at the second time based at least in part upon the second time of the day; determining, with a kinematic model, respective actuations of the first and second drive elements that will re-position the photovoltaic solar cell array from the first position to a second position at which the photovoltaic solar cell array will be substantially aligned with the sun at the second time to begin tracking the sun, the kinematic model relating respective actuations of the first and second drive elements with movement of the photovoltaic solar cell array; at the first time, before the second time, beginning actuation of respective first and second drive elements based at least in part upon the kinematic model determination to re-position the photovoltaic solar cell array from the first position to the second position such that the photovoltaic solar cell array is substantially aligned with the sun at the second time when the photovoltaic solar cell array begins tracking the sun; and predicting respective positions of the sun at other times during the day and re-positioning the photovoltaic solar cell array according to respective kinematic model determinations such that the photovoltaic solar cell array is substantially aligned with the sun at other times during the day.