A-Frames, weather stations, batteries, and more – highlights from RE+ 2024, Day 1

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RE+ 2024 drew over 45,000 solar professionals to Anaheim, Calif. With more than 1,350 exhibitors showcasing their innovations, the event saw significant growth compared to 2023, expanding beyond the main halls.

The following are some of the exciting technologies and products on the floor:

Utility-scale solar foundations are evolving rapidly. Companies like Build It are focused on changing how installations are done, while APA Solar and OMCO are working to revolutionize the types of foundations used in installations.

APA Solar Racking boothAPA Solar’s A-Frame uses two ground screws spread over a wider area to distribute loads, providing stability for tracker motors from various manufacturers, including FlexRack, Array Technologies, Nevados, NextTracker, and FTC Solar, all of which were featured at the booth. This design is especially beneficial in areas with challenging soil conditions or where ground freezing and heaving are concerns.

Artpiece introduced the RV 800W, billed as the “World’s First-Ever Rollable, Motorized Solar Awning,” priced at $3,799. The flexible, rollable solar modules use heterojunction cells with a system efficiency of 15%, the company reports, and come with a five-year warranty. Artpiece also offers smaller units for charging electronic devices, which come with various connector types.

Artpiece booth

Image: pv magazine USA, John Fitzgerald Weaver

Following the trend seen at Intersolar Munich 2024, batteries had a heavy presence on the RE+ floor in Anaheim as well.

Gotion, a Chinese manufacturer, has been assembling battery packs in the United States since January at its California facility. The company plans to offer high domestic content battery systems by Q3 of 2025. Gotion is now offering fully U.S.-assembled 5 MWh battery systems, and by October, the company says these systems will include U.S.-made battery packs, local electrolyte materials, battery management systems, and fire protection components. By fall 2025, Gotion aims to produce battery cells domestically.

In response to a pv magazine USA query, a Gotion representative confirmed that a 5 MWh system could be priced below $100/kWh.

NRG Systems showcased its Solar Resource Measurement Systems that integrate advanced weather station technologies. At the booth, it was mentioned that a recent 600 MW solar project had installed 15 of its units. While base models start at $20,000 to $30,000, prices can escalate based on customized reporting needs.

NRG Systems’ booth

Image: pv magazine USA, John Fitzgerald Weaver

Panduit displayed a broad range of electrical balance-of-system services and components. Their representatives highlighted the importance of starting with their Bill of Material Takeoff Services, which is designed to help contractors optimize their project components. The booth also featured customer label printing services, pre-printed label packets, nylon 612 cable ties with 20-year warranties, and stainless steel cable ties with 400-pound tensile strength and grounding capabilities.

Panduit booth

Image: pv magazine USA, John Fitzgerald Weaver

SEG Solar recently celebrated the opening of its 2 GW-per-year solar manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas. The automated line currently produces 2 GW of n-type solar panels annually, with plans to increase to 5 GW by 2030. The company also introduced its “frameless” modules, which feature raised solar glass above the aluminum frame to allow dirt and water to easily wash off, reducing buildup in the corners.

And if that wasn’t exciting enough, SEG’s booth featured a bull-riding challenge–credit to those brave enough to take it on!

Video source: pv magazine USA, John Fitzgerald Weaver

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