Two-axis PV tracker for balcony power plants wanted

Sustainability wins. This is the formula for the Innovace 2026 competition organized by ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH for young engineers. Prizes will be awarded for the design and construction of a two-axis photovoltaic (PV) tracker for balcony power plants, whereby proof of function and feasibility must be provided. Individuals or teams of applicants from the fields of mechanical engineering, design, mechatronics and electrical engineering at universities, technical colleges and universities of applied sciences will receive a prize of 5,000 euros and an additional 2,000 euros for the accompanying chair.

The PV tracker is designed to automatically align one or more solar modules in such a way that an optimum angle of incidence of the sun is always ensured. In order to achieve maximum efficiency, a two-axis design is to be constructed to track the sun. The size of a commercially available solar module of 1.2 m x 1.8 m with a mass of 22 kg must be assumed and the design must be light and compact. At the same time, it must be robust and secure against all weather conditions. Dampers or other safety solutions must be provided to ensure that the system remains undamaged even in the event of heavy gusts of wind. The students also have the task of drawing up a business case to assess the economic efficiency of the system over its entire service life. Experts from the Stabilus Group, to which ACE has belonged since 2016, form an expert jury that awards 40 points for the concept and functionality of the design and 20 points for the plausible cost breakdown and calculation of the amortization period.

Innovace 2026 begins on April 13 and ends on September 30. ACE will answer any questions during a web conference on April 23, for which interested parties can register by emailing Niklas Backhausen at n-backhausen@ace-int.eu by April 21. The complete call for applications can be found on the ACE homepage:
www.ace-ace.de/de/news-presse/ace-awards/innovace-2026.html