The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel solar tracking alternative whose principle is based on continuous tests comparing the produced thermal energy corresponding to the new apparent sun position with the electrical energy consumption required to drive the solar collector to the new position. Accordingly, the sun-tracking occurs whenever the net energy gain, the gap between thermal production and electrical consumption, is higher than an optimal threshold which reflects the required limits from which the sun-tracking process should begin. The proposed approach was investigated through modeling and optimization. Furthermore, to check the accuracy of the theoretical model, a series of comparisons were also performed, which have shown a reasonable agreement between the simulation results and the available data in the literature. The findings have revealed that there is an optimal threshold to start the sun-tracking process depending on the sun-tracking mode, sky clearness and season. In terms of comparison with conventional sun-tracking systems, it has been proven that, even though the suggested sun-tracking approach enhances slightly the net energy during typical clear sunny days, the improvement of the net energy gain becomes more significant under partly cloudy conditions. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.