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manual_tranny OP t1_iwgizx3 wrote

Jurchen Technology's PEG racking system is not just cheaper and lighter than most, it's also incredibly resistant to high winds because it is low to the ground and because there is no space between panels, so extremely high winds are less likely to damage the racking and panels.

As hurricane Ian passed by Cuba as a category 3 hurricane, winds whipped over a solar facility that was currently under construction, miraculously damaging none of the panels or racking despite 120mph winds.

The ultra dense PEG racking covers 97% of the ground it is installed on, with a capacity factor of 0.74 MW per acre. For comparison, a solar tracking facility has a capacity factor of 0.2 MW per acre. Now that solar panels are cheaper, it typically makes sense to choose a dense ground-mount racking system, rather than invest in solar trackers.

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ijmacd t1_iwiy5w7 wrote

Am I reading an advert? Because it sounds like I'm reading an ad.

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RatchetMyPlank t1_iwjsx88 wrote

Def sounds like an ad, looking at the account, it kinda looks like a paid marketing account more than anything g.

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manual_tranny OP t1_iwl5wt4 wrote

I post about my interests, which include playing trombone, riding motorcycles, designing kit cars, and keeping up with renewable energy and related technologies. Sometimes I post in r/politics. I started r/agrivoltaics because of my combined interest in farming and solar.

When I wrote this submission statement I had just finished reading the article, and so I quickly summarized it. The facts look like an advertisement because they are flattering to Jerchen's PEG racking system. That's how facts work. I do not personally know or care about anyone at Jurchen, and if their racking system had blown away, we would have all been reading about that instead.

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Tex-Rob t1_iwguw08 wrote

No pictures after the storm, just the word from the company that makes them that it was undamaged. It's mid installation, they have no reason to admit any damage. This is just a marketing piece for this company.

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Phssthp0kThePak t1_iwgrrat wrote

What about MWh per acre? Is that closer, like 0.74/0.4 since trackers can double the energy harvested? Then you are at twice the energy for 3.5x the cost.

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WhatdoIdowithmyhands t1_iwh3sqb wrote

You are right, MWh is the true measurement that should be used when comparing these systems. And that will vary of course for every site. Single axis trackers are still the best solution for most utility scale solar sites.

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manual_tranny OP t1_iwh7497 wrote

MWh is in the article. (as KWh/KW/year)

Your math is funny, you didn't even try to account for the price of a tracker, and yet you have a final number on costs?

FYI, the price of a solar panel is NOT the same as the price of installed, interconnected solar project. Panel pricing has come down so aggressively over the last decade that it is considerably cheaper per MWh to install more panels than to operate trackers. Labor is a significant factor in solar projects, and most trackers take more labor to install as well as never ending O&M.

(There are a couple of recently developed single-axis trackers that might tip the scale the other way, but MOST tracking hardware is silly expensive)

If you had read the article, instead of reacting to the title, you would have learned that dense panel fitment is actually a way to protect against severe weather AND take advantage of limited land, both top concerns for islands in the Caribbean.

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Phssthp0kThePak t1_iwhkcpn wrote

Just arithmetic trying to balance your title which you admit is a little misleading. For the rest, sounds cool for an application like islands in stormy regions. Great. Maybe trackers can have a stow position that is wind resistant. Maybe not though.

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manual_tranny OP t1_iwi7loa wrote

I absolutely did not 'admit' any such thing.

You have no idea what you are talking about, or how to use units, and you're acting like a jerk. Now you're blocked. 😘

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FuturologyBot t1_iwglyip wrote

The following submission statement was provided by /u/manual_tranny:


Jurchen Technology's PEG racking system is not just cheaper and lighter than most, it's also incredibly resistant to high winds because it is low to the ground and because there is no space between panels, so extremely high winds are less likely to damage the racking and panels.

As hurricane Ian passed by Cuba as a category 3 hurricane, winds whipped over a solar facility that was currently under construction, miraculously damaging none of the panels or racking despite 120mph winds.

The ultra dense PEG racking covers 97% of the ground it is installed on, with a capacity factor of 0.74 MW per acre. For comparison, a solar tracking facility has a capacity factor of 0.2 MW per acre. Now that solar panels are cheaper, it typically makes sense to choose a dense ground-mount racking system, rather than invest in solar trackers.


Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/yvxpan/peg_racking_system_survives_neardirect_120_mph/iwgizx3/

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