When it comes to producing the maximum amount of electricity from solar power, it is crucial to maximize the number of hours photovoltaic modules are exposed to the sun’s rays. To solve this problem, AllEarth Renewables, a Vermont wind and solar farm company, has developed the AllSun Tracker; a solar-panel device that rotates as the earth does, so as to always be in correct alignment with the sun.

“As long as the sun is in the sky, the solar panels on the trackers will be facing the sun and generating electricity from its light,” said Anne Bijur, marketing and communications coordinator for AllEarth. “So like all solar panels, they will make more power in the summer when there is more sunlight than in the winter.

The module follows the sun using the same technology your smartphone does to find the closest restaurant.

“There are no sensors on our tracker, but instead a GPS system, which knows where the sun will be at all times for that particular location and moves the solar panels so that they are always perpendicular to the sun's rays, which is when they are most efficient,” she said. “This is why our trackers are able to make up to 45 percent more electricity than fixed solar panel installations.”

On Oct. 28, the company announced its contract to install a new solar farm in South Burlington, Vt., using 382 of its massive AllSun Trackers in what will be the largest solar power array in the state.

Vermont’s Energy Act of 2009 called for fixed prices on solar energy bought by utilities, which makes these projects more viable.

“The Standard Offer [in Vermont] makes it easier for developers to get financing because they are guaranteed a set price for solar-generated electricity through a long-term contract,” Bijur said. “Utilities can then spread the added cost among all ratepayers.”

A site around residential and commercial building developments was chosen for the farm.

“A real estate developer owns [the land] and faced some challenges putting homes on it due to road access,” She said. “It had been farmed for hay. It is a good site because it is not very visible from any perspective, but also close to good utility interconnect infrastructure.”

Pictured: Members of AllEarth Renewables pose in front of a PV tracking module, most likely reducing its efficiency for the duration of the photo shoot.