• These two new product ranges will be presented at the SOLAREXPO and INTERSOLAR trade fairs being held next May in Munich and Verona, respectively.
• Both products add to the company’s catalogue, joining the dual-axis solar panels currently designed and manufactured by the company and which enjoy high-level market penetration in the European market.
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• With the three product ranges, which will be manufactured at the company’s production plants in Spain and Greece, MECASOLAR serves the entire needs of ground mounted photovoltaic installations.
• The MECASOLAR Single-axis Azimuthal seasonal tracker increases production by 5% compared to similar traditional trackers, and by 28% compared to fixed structures.
• As for the new Fixed Structures that will be manufactured by the company, they are outstandingly sturdy and flexible and adapt to the topography of the land, at a cost of less than 0.1 € / Wp.
MECASOLAR will present in May two new products, developed, designed and manufactured by the company. Their new Fixed Structures, designed for ground-mounted facilities in large solar photovoltaic plants, and their new seasonal Azimuth single-axis trackers. Both products will be launched as innovations at the SOLAREXPO fair to be held in Verona (Italy) from May 7 to 9; and the INTERSOLAR fair that will take place in the German city of Munich between May 27 and 29.
With this expansion to its product range MECASOLAR responds to all the needs of the market for ground-mounted photovoltaic installations: from dual-axis solar trackers – which they have been manufacturing since 2004 – to fixed structures and single-axis solar trackers; which are currently being launched.
The three product ranges will be manufactured and assembled by its production plants in Spain (Navarra and Badajoz) and Greece (Thessaloniki), as well as the production plants that are to come on line in Italy and The United States in late 2009.
According to the company, with the new products, MECASOLAR expects to reach a production capacity of 200 MW / year for fixed structures and trackers (single and dual-axes) in 2010. The launch of these two new products will further strengthen its leadership in the global photovoltaic market for dual-axis trackers, with more than 140 MW produced per year in 2008 and 180MW accumulated to date.
The distribution of both the Fixed Structure and the Seasonal Azimuth single-axis will be exclusively conducted by PROINSO, the engineering and distribution company in the OPDE Group, who were already distributing the MECASOLAR double-axis.
TECHNICAL DATA OF PRODUCTS – INNOVATION
FIXED STRUCTURES
Exclusively supplied by PROINSA, the differential advantages of the designed and manufactured fixed structures are their fast assembly and reduced installation. Maximum durability of the hot-dip galvanized steel structure and with only a minimum volume needed to transport it as it is supplied in bar sections. They adapt to any type of terrain. Maximum resistance to inclement weather designed for winds exceeding 150 km / h
The fixed structures are designed and manufactured by MECASOLAR and come in two models:
• The first model of structures is designed for SHALLOW GROUND FOOTING, in combinations of 1, 2 and 3 rows of modules, with references MS-1C FX, MS-2C FX and MS-3C FX. For this model an exterior or buried footing can be used, according to the project installation needs.
• The second model is designed using FOUNDATION BOLTS in combinations of 1, 2 and 3 rows of modules, with references MS-1T FX, MS-2T FX and MS-3T FX. Their competitive differential advantage is the ability to adapt to a slope of up to 10%, meaning that earth movement in complex terrain does need to be carried out, thus avoiding the visual impact and reducing the foundation costs and well as being easy to install and dismantle.
Both models are hot dip galvanized structures, enabling MECASOLAR to provide a full guarantee for the structures of up to 10 years. They are also compliant with the UNE-ENV 1991 Eurocode standard and resist winds of 150 km / h.
The panels are fixed to the structure with stainless steel Dracomet bolts. Maximum crown height is 2 m for double-row vertical MS-2T and MS-2C models and 2.5 m for the three-row modules MS-3T and MS-3C. The structure supports any size of module and is designed for modules of 1.70 meters by 1.10 meters.
Worth noting is the competitive price of the MECASOLAR fixed structures with plants of about 1 MW being able to attain 0.1 € / Wp installed, in addition to cost savings in the rest of the value chain of an installation.
SINGLE-AXIS AZIMUTH SEASONAL TRACKER
• An increase in production by 28% compared to a fixed installation and 5% compared to traditional single -axis Azimuth trackers
• Takes up less ground: 1 MW in a maximum of 2.95 hectares.
The main competitive advantage of this product is that it greatly improves production with regard to other single-axis azimuth trackers, as it allows manual adjustment from 25 º to 35 º of the tilt on the polar axis. In this way, and throughout the various seasons of the year, the head of the operation and maintenance at the solar farm can vary the polar angle using a very simple procedure.
If the single-axis Azimuth tracker improves production up to 23%, incorporating the possibility of the Seasonal variation increases it by 28% compared to the Fixed structure; this is a production improvement of 5% with the MECASOLAR Seasonal single-axis azimuth trackers, in comparison to traditional single-axis trackers.
Another of the competitive advantages of this product is its low ground occupancy with respect to traditional single-axis trackers. The occupation of land by the MECASOLAR Seasonal single-axis azimuth tracker does not exceed 2.95 hectares per 1 MW as opposed to the 2.5 hectares for the traditional single-axis trackers.
The new models being launched are the MS-1E TRACKER 10, MS-1E TRACKER 10+ which are supplied with 3 Sunny Boy 3300 inverters; and the MS-1E TRACKER 10+TL model which is supplied with an SMA Sunny Mini Central SMC 10000 TL inverter.
The Seasonal single-axis Azimuthal tracker allows a maximum of 12 kWp to be positioned on 90 m2 of grid. This structure is hot dip galvanized and can withstand winds exceeding 130 km / h. Each tracker carries its own automatic tracking device with astronomical programming, as well as a three-phase tracker, with consumption not exceeding 40 kWh / year. Like all MECASOLAR products, a 10-year guarantee for parts, labour and transport is included.
Company Information
MECASOLAR www.mecasolar.com
MECASOLAR, forms part of the OPDE Group, specializing in the design, manufacture and distribution of dual-axis solar trackers, single-axis solar trackers and fixed structures, using the latest technology. Its dual-axis trackers allow an increase in the production of photovoltaic solar energy of more than 35% with respect to fixed installations and provide a 10-year warranty on parts and labour.
In 2008 MECASOLAR reached a turnover of more €140 million, positioning itself as the leading production company, with a production of 180 MW and the highest turnover in its sector. With five factories in Spain, and one in Greece, it plans to open two more in Italy and the U.S. in 2009, as part of its expansion programme. In addition to the companies who form part of the OPDE Group, its main clients are companies such as TSK, the AMS Group, Iberdrola, Enatica
MECASOLAR products are 100% bankable and have been approved by the major companies that perform Due Diligence Tests for Project Finance of the major European banks as Barclays, Santander, BBVA and Banesto, among others.
