RE+, U.S. photo voltaic business’s largest commerce present, and its first for the reason that Trump Administration handed HR1, has wrapped for this 12 months. Whereas an official quantity hasn’t been launched but, Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO and president of the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation, stated the occasion had drawn greater than 35,000 attendees as of Wednesday, and broke its file for variety of exhibitors. So, regardless of coverage adjustments which have induced a wave of high-profile closures and a significant reduction to the projected home mission pipeline, the U.S. photo voltaic business nonetheless confirmed up in Las Vegas this week.
I’ve written about racking and mounting applied sciences in Photo voltaic Energy World for almost seven years, and far of my time at commerce exhibits is spent speaking to individuals from these firms. This 12 months was no completely different. I met with greater than 30 of them over two days.
Racking and mounting producers, like the remainder of the U.S. photo voltaic business, are reconfiguring their strategy for a post-IRA market. There’s a shift from promoting PV expertise with the assistance of incentives and as an alternative touting its standalone financial attraction in an period of rising power costs.
Racking producers within the business and utility area are nonetheless having fun with a while with the funding tax credit score, whereas residential producers are dealing with a narrower window earlier than it’s gone.
Racking up residential
There’s a right away demand for photo voltaic amongst owners because the residential ITC ceases on the end of this year. In response, many residential racking producers had been specializing in showcasing what that they had in inventory for these tasks on the present as an alternative of reinventing their merchandise.
SnapNrack has locked its product pricing by the top of This autumn to remain price aggressive whereas the subsidy stays. “Photo voltaic ought to be a necessity no matter whether or not or not you’re getting an incentive,” stated Dakota Dominguez, senior advertising supervisor at SnapNrack.
Nonetheless, residential racking isn’t a stagnant expertise. There have been nonetheless novel concepts for these rooftop photo voltaic buildings.
Martin Photo voltaic Twin-Channel Photo voltaic Rail
Martin Solar, a subsidiary of 50-year-old Martin Roofing, produces roof mounts that connect alongside the glue tab on an asphalt shingle which might be hidden below the continuing shingle flap. The corporate has began producing Twin-Channel Photo voltaic Rail, which was designed to accommodate system cabling separate from different parts on the array whereas sustaining cable entry for upkeep.
Unirac NXT HD Rail
Unirac debuted its NXT HD Rail, a strengthened mounting rail that, along with growing row spans by 2.5 ft (to 10.5 ft whole), has better resistance to wind pressures and is healthier suited to bigger modules. NXT HD is scaling into business purposes and Unirac is producing the rail for public use now.
Lots of the bigger rooftop racking firms serve each the residential and business markets, and a few working solely within the former are planning to develop.
Business alternatives
Federal subsidies remain intact for the business and utility markets by 2027, so the push to promote as a lot as potential inside that timeframe isn’t as pressing as it’s in residential. So, racking firms that historically labored in residential are eyeing business.
Pegasus FX
Pegasus unveiled its first business photo voltaic racking, FX, at RE+ this 12 months. The corporate had till this level produced mounts and racking strictly for residential. FX is a flat roof racking designed to work in east-west, south-facing or flush system layouts. The system is direct connect solely and is examined to face up to as much as 180 mph winds.
PanelClaw ClickFit Tilt
OpSun SunRail
Three firms I met with are producing elevated photo voltaic racking for business rooftops. ISA Corporation has manufactured these buildings since 2010 with the aim of leaving ample hearth entry clearance, reaching the roof line and residing over roof obstacles, like HVAC programs. Whereas not as tall, however nonetheless larger than most, OpSun and PanelClaw each showcased elevated flat roof racking designed to clear roof obstacles and encourage bifacial module positive aspects.
Tracker firm expansions
The product developments amongst tracker producers largely heart on the identical points: climate harm prevention (primarily hail) and constructing on uneven mission websites. The larger updates from these firms are that they’re branching into constructing accent parts and complementary providers at a proprietary or acquired stage.
Nextracker PowerMerge
Nextracker’s newest product wasn’t a tracker in any respect, however a prefabricated, simplified trunk connector for managing cable runs. The corporate went public with NX PowerMerge final week, sandwiched between acquisition bulletins of each Origami Solar, a metal body producer for PV modules, and OnSight Know-how, launching an O&M robotics division.
Array Technologies has entered the foundations market by acquiring APA Solar Racking. Darin Inexperienced, CRO at Array, stated each firms had labored collectively on tasks earlier than, and because the tracker producer targets new territories, APA’s foundations will help with more durable soil situations.
Terrasmart
Terrasmart produces ground-mount racking, photo voltaic trackers and floor screw foundations for these buildings, and maintains a collection {of electrical} steadiness of system and mission design applied sciences. Terrasmart’s expanded its eBOS choices with a junction field that has built-in home windows for infrared readings and electrical take a look at ports, and each are accessible with out opening the field.
OMCO Star Tracker Controller
OMCO Solar manufactures fixed-tilt racking and trackers throughout its 5 U.S. factories. The corporate showcased its Star Tracker Controller final 12 months, which has now come to market. Star is a long-range tracker controller with an elevated working vary of 1 mile, which drastically reduces the variety of controller items wanted on a mission.
For extra from RE+:
Read Kelsey’s inverter coverage from the show floor.
