May 1 2008
Energy Innovations, Inc., manufacturer of commercial solar products that maximize usable energy from the sun, announced today the immediate availability of RayTracker(TM) GC, a single-axis, solar tracker for ground-mount and carport-mount applications that maximizes the energy yield of a photovoltaic system. RayTracker supports a wide range of the leading, available PV panel types and was developed with a focus on performance, reliability and installed cost. Concurrent with its general availability today, RayTracker is being deployed as part of installations totaling over 2.6MW of power.
RayTracker was designed from the start to be cost-effective while also maximizing efficiency. PV panels mounted on a RayTracker system can yield an up to 38% increase in annual energy production compared to stationary PV panels. RayTracker uses state of the art systems to ensure maximum energy production including proprietary tracker-to-tracker Shade Avoidance Technology, precision distributed actuation for increased tracking accuracy over the entire installation and low actuation energy budget.
“Installing a tracking PV system vs. a fixed-position system allows customers to realize the greatest amount of energy production from their PV panels, thereby maximizing and speeding up a system’s return on investment,” said Mark Henderson, EVP of the RayTracker business unit at Energy Innovations. “RayTracker gives integrators, and the industry as a whole, an improved option for increasing the efficiency of the systems they’re designing and installing.”
“Over the past several months, my team and I have had the opportunity to work closely with Energy Innovations in the test and design trials for the RayTracker project,” said Michael Kahn, president of Kahn Solar, a solar system integrator in Southern California. “Our collaboration and their solicitation of my feedback has allowed me to provide the real-world insight and knowledge I’ve gained from my 32 years in the energy industry. The result is a product that I’m proud to present to my customers and I’m already including RayTracker in my proposals.”
RayTracker is engineered for maximum reliability and easy deployment. The system utilizes factory pre-assembled parts to reduce in-field installation time and labor, microprocessor and GPS-based controllers that require no adjustment or calibration and has a 25-year design life with documented component and system-level testing. Additionally, RayTracker has been approved for up to 85mph/136kph wind zones and Seismic Zone 4, and is equipped with features such as a nighttime, 10-degree automatic stow for panel run-off, mechanism obstruction sensing and automatic recovery and automated stowing for maintenance. Anti-theft panel security fastener kits are also available for added security.