Nextracker, a provider of tracking and mounting solutions for utility-scale solar projects, announced three next-generation editions of its products. These include a hail-ready stowing mechanism, a terrain-following tracker and a new irradiance tracking system.
“Our product development priorities are informed by listening to customers and innovating to create value for them,” said Nextracker founder and chief executive officer, Dan Shugar.
The company will exhibit the products in booth 2511 at RE+ Las Vegas, September 11-14, 2023.
“The suite of hardware and software technologies launched today benefits customers by accelerating construction, reducing risk in extreme hail, and generating more energy in rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. These technologies deliver improved solar project profitability, and expand the geographic areas where solar is cost effective, furthering our vision of a world powered by renewables.”
According to Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, Nextracker has been the solar tracker global market share leader for eight consecutive years. It has shipped more than 75 GW of trackers as of the end of 2022.
NX Horizon Hail Pro
The hail pro is built upon Nextracker’s NX Horizon, a tracking system with balanced design, integrated UPS, and independent row architecture. The company said its racks can stow panels up to four times faster than standard trackers, allowing them to rapidly respond to the threat of hail.
The Hail Pro components add automatic stowing using weather service data and hail readiness services. A Hail Pro-75 feature can be added for stowing at up to 75 degrees for regions with extreme hail risk. The solution was made in collaboration with customers, independent engineers, and experts from the insurance industry.
“Getting insurance in hail prone geographies like Texas is an increasingly challenging issue solar project developers and owners face today,” said Michael Alvarez, chief operating officer and co-founder of Longroad Energy. “Advanced technology, like Nextracker’s new Hail Pro suite is directionally where our industry needs to be going.”
Zonal Diffuse
Zonal Diffuse builds on the company’s TrueCapture yield optimization software. The tracking software rapidly responds to changes in irradiance. The software adds higher spatial resolution sensing and new control algorithms, responding to variations in cloud cover across the solar plant.
“Plants equipped with Zonal Diffuse can ‘chase clouds’ for additional gains, without compromising tracking performance during clear sky conditions,” said Nextracker.
Zonal Diffuse is compatible with Split Boost, a tracking optimization algorithm for half-cell modules. A third-party validation report can be found here.
NX Horizon XTR-1.5
The XTR series of trackers is designed for uneven terrain, used in utility-scale projects since 2019. The updated XTR-1.5 edition reduces or eliminates earthwork on extreme terrain sites, without adding joints or additional components.
Nextracker said the XTR can save many tons of steel with shorter piles and thousands of cubic yards of cut and fill. This will come with the benefit of shortened construction schedules, minimized environmental impact, and reduced project risk, said Nextracker.
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