FTC Solar’s Latest Single-Axis 2P Tracker In Spotlight At Intersolar Europe 2024

FTC Solar, an American solar tracker manufacturer founded in 2017, showcased its latest advanced Single-Axis 2P tracker model at the show.

Speaking to TaiyangNews, the company promoted its latest ‘Voyager’ series single-axis 2P tracker system incorporated with advanced features that can be characterized under multiple key metrics – driving mechanism, constructability, and safety & reliability.

Driving mechanism

The Voyager series single-axis 2P tracker system displayed at the show is a single slew drive single-axis independent 2P tracker system. That means each tracker has 1 slew-drive mechanism, which can independently and accurately rotate the PV modules connected in a 2P portrait configuration in sync with the Sun’s movement from east to west. According to its technical specifications, Voyager can accommodate 4 strings of 1,500 V system voltage in a 2P configuration. The tracker's design supports up to 120 commercial modules per structure depending on the module size, added the company. Its wide east-to-west rotational range of ±52° over an undulated terrain of up to 10° slope in the north-south direction ensures higher power generation over different types of terrain. This latest tracker from FTC also offers flexible designing by supporting a wide range of ground coverage ratios (GCR) from 25% to 60%, keeping the minimum height of the lower edge of connected modules at 300 mm.

Constructability

This new tracker design features FTC's patented rapid module attachment method, called Slide & Glide, which supports quick installation of different formats of modules. This approach securely fastens and grounds the module mounting structure with an innovatively designed cinch clip, says the company. It claims further that it has achieved a 60-second installation time for a single piece of First Solar’s FS6/6+ module. This innovative design also supports 7 number of W8 size screw or concrete type posts per row, resulting in 56% fewer posts required per MW installation, added the company.

Safety & reliability

FTC has incorporated multiple advanced features catering to the system's safety and reliability – stow angle, individual row-level & terrain-based backtracking, and up to 60 psf snow load carrying capacity. The model, having a default high wind stow angle of 0°, can be configured for multiple extreme weather events – 50° snow stow, 0° flood stow, 50° hail stow. FTC emphasized that its standard 0° stow position enhances the connected module’s reliability by reducing the module’s microcrack generation.

This company offers a standard 10-year warranty on the structure and a 5-year drive & control warranty.