The object of this study is photovoltaic modules in various installation options. The physical model of the Earth's illumination by a parallel flow of solar rays has been refined. The dependence of the cosine of the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays on the angular length of the day, as well as the average annual efficiency of the installation of photovoltaic modules, both fixed and with various tracking options, was determined. Refinement of the physical model implies determining the angle of inclination as the angle between the inclined axis of the Earth and its projection on a vertical plane, perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the Earth and the Sun. This line passes through the center of the Earth. The concept of the average annual efficiency of the installation of photovoltaic modules is introduced as the annual weighted average value of the cosine of the angle of incidence of solar rays on the plane of the photovoltaic module. Various options for installing photovoltaic modules were analyzed: fixed horizontal on the equator; stationary, installed at an angle to the horizon; one that performs tracking in horizontal (vertical) planes; with full tracking. The efficiency of installing a photovoltaic module at each latitude can be equal to the efficiency of installing this module at the equator, that is, 47.93 % when installing the module at an angle of inclination to the horizon equal to the latitude. Tracking in the vertical plane makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic module installation by up to 50 %. Compared to full tracking, tracking in the horizontal plane at an angle of latitude makes it possible to obtain the efficiency of the installation of the photovoltaic module at the level of 97.93 %.
The results could be used as a basis for evaluating the efficiency of the installation of photovoltaic modules at different latitudes with different techniques of their installation, as well as for the subsequent generation of electricity