Vaja has developed the next major leap in fundamental solar tracking with its novel and patented wind-responsive technology. This removes over 80% of wind loads, drastically reducing torque and avoiding aerodynamic instabilities. This finally unlocks a cost-effective design for a vertical solar tracker that can withstand strong winds.

Vaja’s vertical tracker incorporates four key innovations that together make this possible and efficient:

A 3D render of a Vaja solar panel

The number 1 in a circlePassive Feathering Mechanics

At the heart of Vaja’s tracker design is a mechanism that allows the solar panels to passively feather. During strong winds this makes the panels automatically, smoothly and quickly lift into an almost horizontal tilt angle. This takes place without using motors – instead it is just the force of the wind itself that lifts the panels, through a design that carefully leverages aerodynamic principles.

Since the panels automatically move into their natural rest position, the result is more than 85% lower wind load than a fixed-tilt panel in a traditional vertical tracker and 80% lower than a locked panel at 30 degree tilt angle (which is typical for static-mounted panels and for horizontal trackers in stow mode).

This core principle is very similar to how nature has evolved leaves on trees and bushes to withstand strong winds without breaking: By gracefully evading the wind instead of trying to resist it with brute force (which is essentially what all traditional solar farm mounting systems and tracking systems do).

VajaTrack solar panel

The number 2 in a circleMinimal Torque Design

Vertical solar trackers rotate around their vertical axis to follow the sun and thereby maximize energy capture. In Vaja’s solution, this vertical axis rotation is also leveraged to ensure a minimal torque design that works in tandem with the feathering mechanics to protect the structure.

During rare strong winds, the units rotate around the vertical axis to optimize their angle relative to the wind instead of relative to the sun. This further reduces the strain on the structure, transmission system and motor and helps avoid situations where the wind could otherwise cause potentially damaging torsional resonance effects.

All in all, the minimal torque design is a critical aspect of Vaja’s wind-responsive technology, preventing torque buildup and wear on components and avoiding aerodynamic instabilities. This makes it highly durable, even in extreme weather conditions.

vaja solar panel back

The number 3 in a circleCentralized Drive System

Traditional vertical trackers use one motor per tracker unit, which significantly contributes to the high cost of such systems.

Vaja’s feathering mechanics and minimal torque design drastically reduce the rotational torque, which has made it possible to implement the motorized vertical axis rotation through a cable-based centralized drive system. One motor, one gearbox and one tracker control unit that drive many tracker units significantly reduces both up-front cost and maintenance need and cost.

The number 4 in a circleShade-avoidance Optimization

Vaja’s vertical trackers implements multiple strategies to significantly reduce inter-row shading effects, with optimized hardware design, optimized solar farm layouts and backtracking algorithms specifically optimized for vertical trackers.

The result is minimal shading effects, ensuring that the theoretically much higher energy capture of vertical trackers beyond ±30° latitude translates into real and large benefits.

Validated in Extensive Testing

To validate the durability, Vaja’s wind-responsive tracker technology has been extensively tested.

Vaja has developed comprehensive dynamic and three‑dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models that have been executed on the Dardel supercomputer at the Stockholm Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). These have been used to simulate how solar panels with feathering mechanics behave at different wind speeds, wind attack angles and turbulence conditions.

Extensive wind tunnel tests at the KTH L2000 wind tunnel have been used to expose arrays of VajaTrack units to excessive force winds at a wide range of angles and including induced heavy turbulence. And finally, Vaja has operated multiple test sites over extended time in weather-exposed conditions. During these tests, the Vaja system has weathered through freezing cold, snow and ice and storm-level wind speeds.

Conclusion: Vaja’s wind-responsive tracker technology is durable and low on maintenance.

Vaja feather symbol

Combined Benefits

Overall, Vaja’s wind-responsive tracker technology enables vertical trackers to operate at near optimal angles for energy capture while staying secure in high-wind conditions. Through a balance of passive mechanics and forecast-informed control, the system maintains a stable, low-risk configuration—even in very strong winds.

The result is that the formerly “impossible” vertical tracker design is now practical, durable and cost-efficient.