| Criterion | Tracker manufacturer's controls | Independent controller | Monitoring-only platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Controls and software the manufacturer supplies with its trackers | Controls and software from a vendor that builds no trackers of its own | Software that collects and analyses plant data |
| Controls the trackers | Yes | Yes | Usually not |
| Tie to one tracker brand | High – built for its own trackers | Low – has to fit the mechanics | None – reads data from existing devices |
| Retrofit of existing plants | Upgrades for its own fleet | Replacing the controls as a project | Yes, if data can be read |
| Safety positions in the field | Yes | Yes | No – that stays with the existing controls |
| If the supplier drops out | Controls and mechanics affected by the same supplier | Mechanics and controls are separate risks | Monitoring affected, control not |
| Examples (public information) | Nextpower NX Navigator and TrueCapture, Array SmarTrack, Soltec TeamTrack, PVH DBOX | Suntrack (Kinematics), Gantner Track.Bloxx, Ingdemurtas, Feldmelder | meteocontrol with tracker mode, Bazefield with tracker extension, FTC Solar SUNOPS |
When which route fits
- Manufacturer's controls: when you buy new trackers from a manufacturer with its own controls and want one supplier.
- Independent controller: when a manufacturer has no controls of its own, the existing ones are no longer supported or you want to source mechanics and controls separately.
- Monitoring-only platform: when the controls run well and you mainly want to analyse data across many plants.
Where Feldmelder stands
Feldmelder is an independent controller with its own portal. What the controller does in the field is listed below; every function is covered by automated tests.
- The box computes the sun position and points the trackers; with backtracking it flattens the rows when the sun is low so that no row shades the next.
- The box works without the cloud – it decides on safety positions in the field and buffers its data for up to 72 hours.
- Wind stow from the wind sensor in the field; while it is active the box refuses the "automatic" command.
- On an official hail or storm warning of the German Weather Service (DWD) for the site the box moves the trackers to the safety position (off until it is set up).
- On a DWD snow or ice warning the trackers move to the snow position so that the snow slides off.
- The portal reports deviations from the target angle, trackers that went offline, motor and drive-sync faults, wind sensor faults and unacknowledged commands.
- REST API with tokens and scopes (read only or acknowledge alarms) and CSV export of the measurements.
How we work: every function of the box, the tracker control unit (TCU) and the portal is covered by automated tests. Field installations start with a pilot project and acceptance criteria agreed beforehand. The live demo shows an example plant with example data.
Product and company names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. Feldmelder is not affiliated with any of these companies. Information on other vendors comes from their public pages (as of 1 November 2026, sources in our market research).