Solar energy systems are evolving — not just in what they’re made of, but in how and where they’re installed. One innovative approach gaining attention is the use of vertical bifacial solar panels placed along the sides of irrigation canals.
At Sunstall, we help bring such systems into reality with mounting and engineering solutions — and with our product Sunzaun, we offer a purpose-built vertical PV solution that’s ideal for these kinds of applications. Read more
Building on the achievements of 2023, Sunstall is honored to once again be distinguished with the prestigious “U.S. Installer Award 2024,” reaffirming our commitment to excellence and innovation in our sector. It was presented on September 12, 2024, during the RE+ Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event, organized by RE+ Events in collaboration with EUPD Research, brought together leading industry figures to honor and celebrate outstanding contributions to the renewable energy sector.
Helge Biernath, president and CEO of solar installer Sunstall, joined Solar Power World at Solar Speaks Live 2016 to discuss the changing market of large-scale, ground-mount solar and how the company adapts to new installation techniques. More at solarpowerworldonline
As photovoltaic (PV) projects have evolved over time, the industry has focused on reducing costs to increase the adoption of solar power. This reduction has been dramatic, and the corresponding increase in solar PV projects is exciting, with new records in project size and overall deployments announced nearly every year. As solar project costs drop so, too, have racking costs through the utilization of improved engineering analysis, appropriate and efficient material selection, and improved manufacturing approaches. Knowing that racking continues to play an integral role in solar installations, savvy project integrators are paying more attention than ever to products and solutions available to reduce costs and create job site efficiencies. To help end-users optimize PV installations, the following breaks down the project development and construction process, from start to finish.
By Andrew Worden, CEO, GameChange Racking
Foundation selection is critical for a cost effective installation of PV solar panel support structures. Lack of proper investigation of subsurface conditions can lead to selection of the wrong foundation type and can result in costly change orders and delays to the job completion date.
From the perspective of an installer the better the planning and the better the execution matches the planning the better the end result and the less likely it is that CO’s will be issued! Sounds easy – should be easy, but in reality….. it is not that easy!
If a project is executed on the fly – the costs have to be higher than well planned & executed projects so therefore the contingency has to be higher!
Check out the presentation to get some ideas how to reduce costs & call us to discuss and support your project!
Ground-mounted systems are probably the simplest way to install solar on a larger scale compared to other types of installations such as roofs or parking structures. These systems can be held down by a variety of foundations, including concrete footings, pile driven posts, piers, metal earth screws or with ballasted holding trays.
Foundation systems need to correspond to the existing site considerations and soil static conditions according to engineering calculations and building codes. The one size fits all approach will not lead to the most cost and resource efficient results. Here are some key factors that will help to determine the foundation type:
