Green Technology

How Soltec Solar Trackers Withstand Extreme Climatic Conditions

Solar Trackers Withstand Extreme Climatic Conditions

As with all other electronics that have to operate outdoors, their resilience in extreme climatic conditions is highly regarded in their designs and the construction process. There are many factors that have to be considered when setting up solar panels to ensure that they can be used after adverse weather and climatic conditions. Soltec solar trackers have been innovatively designed to meet these environmental challenges in the following ways:

Continental Climate

This climatic condition is characterized by cold winters, hot summers, frost heaves, high winds and a very high snowfall. Any loose structure is unlikely to withstand these conditions or even continue working thereafter. However, Soltec trackers have been designed innovatively to ensure continuity of purpose after such adversities in climate.

Dealing With Strong Winds

High speed motor designs are used. The Soltec trackers have re-designed control systems that have increased the speed of the motors from the initial maximum tilt of 60 degrees to a horizontal position at about zero degrees. This change in alignment is possible within three minutes and is therefore an effective way of curbing the damaging effects of strong winds.

Strong ground mounts make the solar trackers withstand very high wind speeds above 150 km per hour.

Controlling High Snow Loads

The structural integrity of the solar systems can be easily destroyed by high snow loads. As a result, Soltec solar tracking systems have been systematically engineered with higher grades of stainless steel. They have also incorporated trackers with modified dimensions to beat the snow loads.

Less labor input from personnel is required because of the snow removal control unit set up. The unit controls the amount of accumulated snow for you by moving the tracker thus limiting amount of snow mounds. This minimizes money that would be used in constant supervision and human input into the manual snow removal processes.

Extreme Low Temperatures

Low temperatures exacerbated by heavy snowing is controlled by exclusive piles that maintain the stability of the trackers. These innovative ideas have reduced maintenance costs by making the equipment adaptable to the extreme cold climates of up to -40 degrees Celsius.

Sandstorms and Dust

Sand and dust are a common problem for solar trackers in desert climates. The dust can affect the efficiency of the solar panels greatly. To beat this and tap the solar energy that is considerably high in deserts, a self-cleaning system is adopted. An electro-dynamic system embedded on the solar panel exposes sandstorm particles to an electrostatic field. The resultant levitation, dipping and eventual rise of the dust in wave forms lifts the particles off, which cleans the solar screen.

Ensuring that the solar trackers and the entire solar panel system is adequately shielded from all environmental conditions is a factor that you should look for in a solar tracking company. These companies have research and development teams that ensure the use of the best technology to ensure full functionality of the systems regardless of the prevailing environmental and climatic situation. The high performance of the solar panels on different continents is a result of controls in the design and the structure of the trackers.

The fact that some of the systems are self-powered guarantees continuous power generation and overall functioning of the solar trackers amidst adverse climate conditions.

In conclusion, these and other innovations make the solar tackers viable in extreme climatic conditions.

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Matthew Lesniak is a Mechanical Engineering graduate working within the exciting field of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), better known as drones. His day-to-day work focuses on supporting drone manufacturers, facilitating certification processes, as well as advancing research and development projects. Matthew’s hobbies include travelling with his wife, playing board games, reading and staying active.

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