How are solar trackers holding up in hurricane season? NEXTracker sends an update

Hurricane season is never a fun time for those in the danger zones, but this year has been especially dangerous. And where there is extreme weather, there are challenges posed to solar systems. The highest quality mounting systems are tested to overcome these extreme conditions. Here is one feature from our archives on mounting in extreme weather. Summary: It is tough.

For more insight, NEXTracker sent over its perspective on how its tracking system, NX Horizon is designed to withstand a wide range of harsh environmental conditions – including high winds and flooding. NEXTracker NX Horizon has been put to the test in the Southeast in recent days due to extreme weather. One can see from the image below just how well NX Horizon held up in the wake of devastating storms, high winds and horrendous flooding.

NEXTracker reports that because of NX Horizon’s design, all of its systems in the hurricane-ravaged areas remain intact with zero damage. The company attributes this to:

• -All trackers were placed into stow at 30 degrees in anticipation of high winds.
• All of NEXTracker’s key mechanical components –e.g., motor, elevated slew gear/drive, controller – have a high clearance from ground level. Motor and controller height ranges from 36” above grade, and up to 46” above in high flood zones. Component elevation and NEXTracker’s balanced design played a big role in avoiding damage. The trackers’ mechanical function and structural integrity was not impaired.
• Even at the worst-hit NEXTracker system sites – such as a couple in Virginia and North Carolina that experienced the worst flooding – none of the NX Horizons’ wiring came into contact with rising waters.
• -With NEXTracker’s independent, unlinked rows, even if there had been any damage to one row (and there wasn’t) – the entire system wouldn’t go down; power can still be generated. If a DG customer (off taker) experiences a power outage due to extreme weather – they’ll still have electricity, because NEXTracker equips its tracker system with batteries that store sufficient power, for up to seven days. DG customers can leverage on-site generation and battery backup in the event of outages to maintain power supply.

For more info on NEXTracker, head to the company website.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: http://solarbuildermag.com/news/how-are-solar-trackers-holding-up-in-hurricane-season-nextracker-sends-an-update/]