Future Innovations in Solar Mounting Technology
While the energy prices in India are climbing, supply, although growing, but is not keeping pace with the demand. Solar is an burgeoning industry, where customer is working on the energy economics based on his requirements and driving the sector growth thus creating RE as a “favourable option” for everyone. Continuous reduction in the solar system prices with respect to higher grid rates is resulting in increasing global demand for solar solutions and thus leading to its rapid growth. Solar is undeniable the future and a leading source of renewable energy.
Solar panels work best when they receive shade free sunlight for maximum number of hours, mounted at precise tilt angle with face directed towards the south. This is where solar panel mounting structures comes into the picture. These structures help panels to rest comfortably, prevent from being damaged and more importantly position them at precise tilt angle to harness maximum sun’s energy. Mounting structures can be made for rooftops, ground mounting, carports and sun tracker solutions which now have seen a lot of developments in terms of weight, material, adaptability and ease of installation. There have been many technological innovations that have led to reduced cost, faster and better installation, high durability and with enhanced output.
When properly designed and installed, solar power systems are extremely reliable. There are several ways to mount solar panels according to the space availability and to maximize energy production. Here are the latest trends and innovations in solar mounting technologies, that are shaping the solar market:
Material
Solar system is designed to function for 20 to 25 years thus material plays an important role in the overall solution. The strength of the material is defined by the geography and environment of the location being installed. Hence, there is a growing need for highly durable, rust-free, corrosion-resistant materials in the industry. This is leading to the emergence of evolutionary products like rust-resistant steel that have become highly popular in the solar panel market with its competitive pricing and greater durability. There are several types of steel depending on its weight, strength grade and coating which involves different prices. While selecting the material one should look at the warranty provided by the company for maximum return on investment.
Rooftop mounting structures
Rooftop solar power generation has been gaining a lot of importance in India primarily to gain independence from the power grid, backed by range of government incentives. Roof top can be flat RCC or sloppy with a roofing system. Rooftops provide the opportunity to turn unused space into an energy-producing, cost-cutting asset. Earlier considered expensive due to high investment cost in drilling, pilling, which not only damages the roof instead water seepage also becomes a big problem. There are now new flat roof mounting systems to drive down the costs of solar PV and to avoid seepage problems. These features integrated with roof protection pads, captured ballast, pre-assembled bolts, built-in wire management pathways, and other roof integrity and installation enhancement functions that drive down cost and increase durability up to 25 years. They also consist of design engineering considerations which includes seismic behaviour analysis, boundary layer wind tunnel testing, and UL 2703 certification for grounding and bonding.
Fixed ground mounting and sun trackers
Accelerating solar tracking development in the rapidly growing market, there are new globally accepted products that work to revolutionize solar tracking with unrivaled flexibility and efficiency, yielding to higher power generation, while offering measurable reductions in the total costs. These new solar trackers systems direct solar panels toward the sun, changing their orientation according to the sun throughout the day to follow the sun’s path. This maximizes energy capture by 15-20%. The system is designed with robust mechanical technology with best-of-breed project intelligence technology to deliver superior energy production and long-term ROI for tracker projects anywhere in the world.
Car ports
Most of the place are restricted to provide required space to install solar panels due to several obstacles or being used for other purposes. Area where cars are parked can well be utilized when such obstacles are seen. The top floor of carparks is perfectly placed for making the most of the sun’s free energy, with options to optimize the angles of the solar panels on the surface thus delivering dual benefits.
Structural integrity is of paramount importance. Just like any other component of a building, solar systems must be structurally sound and secure. Numerous problems can result if systems are of low quality or poorly installed. The solar industry is committed to bring remarkable products and systems to the Indian and global markets to enhance solar development across the world. The entry of innovative technologies and products in the sector is paving the way for a cleaner and greener future.
