Andrew Worden, CEO of GameChange Solar, stated: “GameChange Solar is rapidly expanding its leadership role in the solar industry. Obtaining supply of the highest quality galvanized steel manufactured in the United States is an important part of our supply chain. ”
“Combining domestic steel production and domestic system fabrication allows GameChange Solar to be able to meet the requirements for quality and bankability that our utility scale customers require as they build the energy infrastructure of the future for the United States,” Worden adds.
The cost of steel in a basic 10 MW plant can range from 36 cents per installed Watt to 51 cents per installed Watt, depending on varying wind, snow and earthquake design precautions, according to research by Proof Engineering, based in Gilroy, AZ.
Source: Proof Engineering
In a White Paper on PV mounting costs, Proof Senior Mechanical Engineer James Smith says, “Arizona was chosen as the baseline location for the 10 MW solar plant. Here there are high solar radiation levels, little to no snow at lower elevations, and minimum earthquake considerations. The total cost of structural steel for the baseline, Arizonan plant is $3.7 million, or $.36 per watt.”
“Designing this same system for a location with snow loads such as Colorado, increases the material cost by approximately 40 percent. As explained, previously, in snowy terrains, ASCE code requires simultaneously loading the panels with snow and wind. In areas with higher wind speeds such as Hawaii and southern Florida, material costs increase by eight percent and 11 percent respectively,” Smith writes.
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