A sun tracking rack changes position throughout the day to follow the position of the sun in the sky, thereby increasing the output of the solar modules attached to the rack. When these systems were first introduced, they made good financial sense because of the high cost of solar panels. However, as the cost of solar panels have come down, this justification has largely disappeared. Now the opposite is true. It is almost always less expensive to add a few more panels to increase the solar production rather than invest in an entire system that rotates with the sun.
Solar tracking systems cost more money than standard fixed solar panels systems for three reasons: 1) the additional parts needed to provide tracking, 2) added labor to prepare the site for trackers, and 3) maintenance required to keep the tracking systems working. By comparison, fixed solar panel systems require little of no maintenance.
With today’s low-cost solar panels, it is generally more cost effective to add a few more panels to achieve the same gain in total output. The only exception would be if your site has a limited foot-print available for installation of a solar system.
