· Nextracker chooses India for its 3rd Centre For Solar Excellence (CFSE) facility after the USA and Brazil
· The new facility will feature a state-of-the-art laboratory and a yard dedicated to tracker installations
· CFSE center will deliver local skill development through Nextracker’s regular PowerworX Academy installer training courses
On Oct 1, 2024, Nextracker, the US-headquartered solar tracker company, inaugurated its Center for Solar Excellence (CFSE) in Hyderabad, India. This is the company’s 3rd CFSE, after the USA and Brazil, and is aimed at serving the solar markets of India and the Middle East. Currently, the company has over 35 utility-scale projects delivered and under fulfillment, totaling 5 GW of capacity in India.
This research and development (R&D) center will have a 2,787 m² (30,000 ft²) state-of-the-art laboratory with a comprehensive solar tracker installation and training facility. According to Nextracker, the facility is designed to address the complexities and challenges of tracker projects across various climatic and topographical conditions. The mechanical lab, one of the crucial features of the facility, will evaluate different components and sub-assemblies of the tracker for various mechanical load scenarios. In addition, the CFSE will have the facility to evaluate different coatings on multiple tracker components to mitigate the risk of corrosion under regional climatic conditions, added Nextracker. Working closely with local supply chain partners (providing up to 95% of tracker components), end customers, and 3rd party certification agencies, Nextracker’s cross-functional team will develop, test, and commercialize proprietary technologies in the Hyderabad facility.
In addition to product development, the CFSE will play a major role in local skill development through Nextracker’s regular PowerworX Academy installer training courses. The Academy will offer hands-on training to 3rd party installers and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies on tracker design, installation, commissioning, software, and operations and maintenance best practices. This facility also has an 11-acre area, dedicated to tracker installations, which will provide insight into product lines and installation practices to customers (see the CFSE overview video here).
During the company’s R&D facility launch, Nextracker's President, Howard Wenger, commented, “Nextracker is further deepening its commitment to developing solar technology in India with a new Center for Solar Excellence in Hyderabad. This state-of-the-art facility advances our ability to optimize our local customer’s needs into the product design. Today, Nextracker has over 35 reliable utility scale projects delivered and under fulfillment in India with over 5 GW of projects, and we have achieved 95% content under Make in India for our products. Through this new center, we aim to develop high performance solar trackers that significantly enhance energy capture, particularly during critical peak periods in the early morning and late afternoon.”