Patent ID: 8592738

Claim:
An alignment test instrument for a solar tracking photovoltaic system that includes a plurality of planar solar cell modules each having a planar surface, the alignment test instrument comprising: an alignment device mounted on at least one of the plurality of planar solar cell modules so that an axis of the device is substantially perpendicular to the planar surface of the module, the device including a convex lens at one end for focusing incoming rays of the sun into a focused beam, and a planar photodetector at a second end positioned so that the focused beam aligns on at a location of incidence, wherein the location of incidence aligns with a predetermined point of the photodetector when the modules are correctly aligned; and a plurality of leads attached to the photodetector to provide a signal indicative of an angular misalignment of the at least one module, wherein the signal is configured to provide the location of incidence on the planar photodetector.