Arctech, the world's leading tracking, racking, and BIPV solutions provider, announced it has successfully added a 20 MW project portfolio in the US market, shipping the signature SkyLine II solar tracker to 4 projects in Colorado, US, the first 1P (one-in-portrait) tracker designed with pentagonal torque tube and synchronous multi-point drive mechanism. 

In Colorado, on average, there are more than 300 days of sunshine, making it one of the most ideal states for investing in solar power. However, Colorado ranks 9th out of 52 states as the windiest city in the country. 

The US renewables market has just experienced its worst summer on record with unmodelled Extreme Weather events proving far more prevalent and damaging. In particular, hail losses experienced this year in Texas are projected to reach $300m – almost ten times the estimated losses from 2020’s Hurricane Hanna.

SkyLine II

The design of SkyLine II allows the solar tracker the highest stability at all tracking tilts and lower wind stow speeds, Skyline II only triggers wind stows at 22m/s, which leads to up to 2% more energy yield per year, hence lower levelized cost of energy. The synchronous multi-point drive mechanism rigidifies the tracker to the point of enabling 0deg wind stow mode. This is critical to keep allowable pressure levels on the new large format modules and prevent cracking and delamination. Unlike the traditional flexible trackers that rotate excessively during wind events and have to be stowed at steep angles, the very stiff Skyline II safely stows at 0 deg without torsional distortion. 

Arctech Team at RE+ 2022

In late September, Arctech successfully wrapped the RE+ exhibition in the USA, Arctech sent the full lineup from the technical guru, sales veterans and engineering crew. Pedro Magalhães, Gregory Freeman, Olvia Malagón Pfeiffer, AMÓS ADRIÁN NEILA JIMÉNEZ, Alfredo Bedolla, and Guillermo Garcia y Morales brought the 3D printing model of the 1P solar tracker SkyLineII and 2P SkySmartII solar tracker with the company’s signature multi-point drive mechanism technology to the tradeshow.

The U.S. solar energy industry has grown tremendously in the past decade. That growth has actually been one of the most phenomenal economic growth stories across the whole U.S. economy. According to new forecasts in the US Solar Market Insight Q3 2022 report, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will help the US solar market grow 40% over baseline projections by 2027, equal to 62GW of additional solar capacity.

Published by Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, the utility-scale sector will lead the solar industry’s growth over the next five years with 162GW of new capacity. Cumulative solar installations across all market segments will nearly triple in size, growing from 129GW today to 336GW by 2027.

The company has relied on its diversified global supply chain and customer-centric approach to deliver, commission and support solar energy developments around the world, lighting the way to a brighter, smarter future for clean energy.