ACME EXPRESS, INC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase II: 12d

Description

Current solar module racking installation systems are multicomponent and require pre-ordering, transporting, inventorying, and labor-intensive deployment.There is an opportunity to automate installation, especially in the case of flat-roof commercial and ground-based arrays, to decrease racking costs by almost 30%.The proposed automated racking system produces the rack from raw material, on-demand and on-site during the automated installation process.The innovation is a single component rack which is significantly simpler than current state-of-the art racking systems.It is fast and easy to install.There were three Phase I technical objectives.First, make a detailed design of the automated racking system including its geometry and material composition.Second, perform wind tunnel pressure tests to evaluate wind deflecting effects of the unique racking geometry, and the ballast required to secure the solar array.Third, prototype the racking system, verify its functionality, and verify the expected savings for installing solar arrays.All technical objectives were acheived.Most significantly, Phase I research showed that structural material costs can be cut in half and solar arrays can be installed two to four times faster than the existing competition.In Phase II, the rack design will be further refined.Rack materials tested and selected to achieve a 25-year environmental longevity.Clamps that attach solar modules to the rack designed and tested.Further wind test performed to decrease uplift forces.Certification test performed.Rollform tooling designed and first production machine built.Twenty geographically diverse test sites implemented and evaluated.Beyond helping reach the federal government SunShot 2020 and 2030 goals to reduce the cost of solar energy, there are important societal benefits.First envisioned for commercial flat-roof applications, it can also be used at ground-level.And is especially well-suited for environments in which the underlying surface should not be punctured, such as brownfields, landfills, or water treatment plants with underground tanks.A fast and easy system to install, it could provide rapid-response, emergency power generation after catastrophes like hurricanes and wild fires.Finally, installation and maintenance of solar arrays provides good paying construction jobs.