ARRAY Technologies unveils solar tracker with 60° stow angling

This is equipment news for large solar farms, not home solar systems, but it's worth knowing what it means. ARRAY Technologies has released a new version of its DuraTrack solar tracker, a motorized system used at utility-scale solar sites that tilts panels to follow the sun through the day. The new model can angle panels up to 60 degrees when tucked away, or "stowed," during severe weather.

The tracker includes technology that automatically detects incoming hail and wind, then moves the panels into a protective position to reduce damage. It uses a wired power and communications setup rather than batteries and wireless signals, which the company says makes it more dependable. ARRAY says the goal is to cut down on unnecessary stowing and sensor problems, while holding up better in regions prone to hail, such as Texas and the Great Plains.

For homeowners, this doesn't apply directly to rooftop solar panels, which use fixed mounts rather than the moving tracker systems built for ground-mounted commercial and utility solar farms. But it does reflect a broader trend in the solar industry: more attention to protecting equipment from hail and severe weather as storms become a bigger concern for insurers and developers. If you're weighing rooftop solar for your own home, storm resilience for your specific panels and mounting hardware is worth asking about, though it works differently from the tracker systems described here.