diff --git a/code/datums/sun.dm b/code/datums/sun.dm
index 3517ad6d98e..9ce8a73cb72 100644
--- a/code/datums/sun.dm
+++ b/code/datums/sun.dm
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@
 	var/angle
 	var/dx
 	var/dy
-	var/counter = 50		// to make the vars update during 1st call
+//	var/counter = 50		// to make the vars update during 1st call
 	var/rate
 	var/list/solars			// for debugging purposes, references solars_list at the constructor
+	var/nexttime = 3600		// Replacement for var/counter to force the sun to move every X IC minutes
 
 /datum/sun/New()
 
 	solars = solars_list
-	rate = rand(75,125)/100			// 75% - 125% of standard rotation
+	rate = rand(750,1250)/1000			// 75.0% - 125.0% of standard rotation
 	if(prob(50))
 		rate = -rate
 
@@ -17,13 +18,22 @@
 
 /datum/sun/proc/calc_position()
 
-	counter++
+/*	counter++
 	if(counter<50)		// count 50 pticks (50 seconds, roughly - about a 5deg change)
 		return
-	counter = 0
+	counter = 0 */
+
+	angle = ((rate*world.time/100)%360 + 360)%360
+	/*
+		Yields a 45 - 75 IC minute rotational period
+		Rotation rate can vary from 4.8 deg/min to 8 deg/min (288 to 480 deg/hr)
+	*/
+
+	//  To prevent excess server load the server only updates the sun's sight lines every 6 minutes
+	if(nexttime < world.time)
+		return
+	nexttime = nexttime + 3600	// 600 world.time ticks = 1 minute, 3600 = 6 minutes.
 
-	angle = ((rate*world.realtime/100)%360 + 360)%360		// gives about a 60 minute rotation time
-															// now 45 - 75 minutes, depending on rate
 	// now calculate and cache the (dx,dy) increments for line drawing
 
 	var/s = sin(angle)
diff --git a/code/modules/power/solar.dm b/code/modules/power/solar.dm
index 01003ed2911..2be8b7717a6 100644
--- a/code/modules/power/solar.dm
+++ b/code/modules/power/solar.dm
@@ -277,10 +277,10 @@ var/list/solars_list = list()
 	var/cdir = 0
 	var/gen = 0
 	var/lastgen = 0
-	var/track = 0			// 0= off  1=timed  2=auto (tracker)
-	var/trackrate = 600		// 300-900 seconds
-	var/trackdir = 1		// 0 =CCW, 1=CW
-	var/nexttime = 0
+	var/track = 0			// 0=off  1=manual  2=automatic
+	var/trackrate = 60		// Measured in tenths of degree per minute (i.e. defaults to 6.0 deg/min)
+	var/trackdir = 1		// -1=CCW, 1=CW
+	var/nexttime = 0		// Next clock time that manual tracking will move the array
 
 
 /obj/machinery/power/solar_control/New()
@@ -371,9 +371,11 @@ var/list/solars_list = list()
 		return
 
 	use_power(250)
-	if(track==1 && nexttime < world.timeofday && trackrate)
-		nexttime = world.timeofday + 3600/abs(trackrate)
-		cdir = (cdir+trackrate/abs(trackrate)+360)%360
+	if(track==1 && nexttime < world.time && trackdir*trackrate)
+		// Increments nexttime using itself and not world.time to prevent drift
+		nexttime = nexttime + 6000/trackrate
+		// Nudges array 1 degree in desired direction
+		cdir = (cdir+trackdir+360)%360
 		set_panels(cdir)
 		update_icon()
 
@@ -402,19 +404,28 @@ var/list/solars_list = list()
 	user.set_machine(src)
 
 	var/t = "<TT><B>Solar Generator Control</B><HR><PRE>"
-	t += "Generated power : [round(lastgen)] W<BR><BR>"
-	t += "<B>Orientation</B>: [rate_control(src,"cdir","[cdir]&deg",1,15)] ([angle2text(cdir)])<BR><BR><BR>"
-	t += "<BR><HR><BR><BR>"
+	t += "<B>Generated power</B> : [round(lastgen)] W<BR>"
+	t += "Station Rotational Period: [60/abs(sun.rate)] minutes<BR>"
+	t += "Station Rotational Direction: [sun.rate<0 ? "CCW" : "CW"]<BR>"
+	t += "Star Orientation: [sun.angle]&deg ([angle2text(sun.angle)])<BR>"
+	t += "Array Orientation: [rate_control(src,"cdir","[cdir]&deg",1,10,60)] ([angle2text(cdir)])<BR>"
+	t += "<BR><HR><BR>"
 	t += "Tracking: "
 	switch(track)
 		if(0)
-			t += "<B>Off</B> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=1'>Timed</A> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=2'>Auto</A><BR>"
+			t += "<B>Off</B> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=1'>Manual</A> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=2'>Automatic</A><BR>"
 		if(1)
-			t += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];track=0'>Off</A> <B>Timed</B> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=2'>Auto</A><BR>"
+			t += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];track=0'>Off</A> <B>Manual</B> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=2'>Automatic</A><BR>"
 		if(2)
-			t += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];track=0'>Off</A> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=1'>Timed</A> <B>Auto</B><BR>"
+			t += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];track=0'>Off</A> <A href='?src=\ref[src];track=1'>Manual</A> <B>Automatic</B><BR>"
 
-	t += "Tracking Rate: [rate_control(src,"tdir","[trackrate] deg/h ([trackrate<0 ? "CCW" : "CW"])",5,30,180)]<BR><BR>"
+	t += "Manual Tracking Rate: [rate_control(src,"tdir","[trackrate/10]&deg/min ([trackdir<0 ? "CCW" : "CW"])",1,10)]<BR>"
+	t += "Manual Tracking Direction: "
+	switch(trackdir)
+		if(-1)
+			t += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];trackdir=1'>CW</A> <B>CCW</B><BR>"
+		if(1)
+			t += "<B>CW</B> <A href='?src=\ref[src];trackdir=-1'>CCW</A><BR>"
 	t += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];close=1'>Close</A></TT>"
 	user << browse(t, "window=solcon")
 	onclose(user, "solcon")
@@ -443,11 +454,11 @@ var/list/solars_list = list()
 				set_panels(cdir)
 				update_icon()
 		if(href_list["tdir"])
-			src.trackrate = dd_range(-7200,7200,src.trackrate+text2num(href_list["tdir"]))
-			if(src.trackrate) nexttime = world.timeofday + 3600/abs(trackrate)
+			src.trackrate = dd_range(0,360,src.trackrate+text2num(href_list["tdir"]))
+			if(src.trackrate) nexttime = world.time + 6000/trackrate
 
 	if(href_list["track"])
-		if(src.trackrate) nexttime = world.timeofday + 3600/abs(trackrate)
+		if(src.trackrate) nexttime = world.time + 6000/trackrate
 		track = text2num(href_list["track"])
 		if(powernet && (track == 2))
 			for(var/obj/machinery/power/tracker/T in get_solars_powernet())
@@ -455,6 +466,9 @@ var/list/solars_list = list()
 					cdir = T.sun_angle
 					break
 
+	if(href_list["trackdir"])
+		trackdir = text2num(href_list["trackdir"])
+
 	set_panels(cdir)
 	update_icon()
 	src.updateUsrDialog()