FTC Solar is scaling up solar tracker manufacturing with a Texas plant

FTC Solar, a global supplier of solar tracker systems, and steelmaker Taihua New Energy (Thailand) have entered into a joint venture agreement to create Alpha Steel, a manufacturing partnership dedicated to the production of steel components for utility scale, including torque tube solar projects. "This agreement will further strengthen our domestic supply chain and our ability to support our customers and the growth of the U.S. Solar market with domestic manufacturing using U.S. steel," said Sean Hunkler, CEO of FTC Solar. "We are pleased to announce an expanded partnership with existing partners and global manufacturer Taihua New Energy to expand our presence in Texas." The Alpha Steel plant, located just outside Houston in Sealey, Texas, is expected to begin commercial production in mid-2023.

Array Technologies plans to build a manufacturing facility in Australia

Array Technologies, a US supplier of solar tracker products, plans to set up a production facility in Australia after winning a contract to supply tracking supports for a 102MW Glenrowan photovoltaic power station in Victoria, Australia. The large-scale photovoltaic project is being developed by Pacific Partnership, a subsidiary of Sydney-based builder Cimic Group. Array Technologies said the facility, which it plans to build and operate in Australia, will initially provide photovoltaic tracking supports for Glenrowan photovoltaic power station, but will eventually supply its products for other photovoltaic projects in Australia. Array Technologies chief executive Kevin Hostetler said the plant would enhance the company's presence in the Australian market and help spur economic growth in the region.

Nextracker provides solar trackers for 306MW solar power stations in India

Us solar tracker maker Nextracker has signed a supply agreement with Amara Raja Power Systems to deliver its trackers to a 306MWp PV project by Indian utility NTPC. The project will be built as a ground-mounted utility-scale power station using double-sided modules and Nextracker double-sided trackers in a solar thermal field in Rajasthan. The first shipments will arrive in the first quarter of 2023 and the project is expected to be operational by October 2023. According to Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker, Nextracker has more than 1GW of solar tracking systems in 24 solar PV projects in India. Dwarakanadha Reddy, business Lead Project unit, Amara Raja Power Systems, said: "We are proud to be able to offer this advanced technology to NTPC, and Nextracker is the right local partner to help us achieve lower levelled energy costs (LCOE) throughout the life cycle. The plant is optimized for its double-sided design."

California introduced a bill to encourage the installation of solar sheds

California State Sen. Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) introduces Senate Bill 49, a bill to incentivize the development of solar sheds, at the state Capitol on Monday. "Solar farms take up a lot of land, but in cities and suburbs where the most electricity is used, this type of open space is either unavailable or very expensive," Becker said. "That's why the solar shed concept is so attractive, because it doesn't require more land, it just incentivize parking lot owners to double use their parking lot by placing a micro-power plant above all these cars." The bill would offer tax incentives to companies that build solar sheds in large parking lots to promote clean local power generation and avoid more solar development on land. According to a report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, sidewalks make up 35-50% of a city's total surface area, and 40% of those sidewalks are parking lots.

OMCO Solar has more than 9.5GW of PV stent production in the US

With the passage of the Reduce Inflation Act (IRA), OMCO Solar expanded its manufacturing facility in Piercston, Indiana, and reached the milestone of delivering 9.5 gigawatts of solar installation and stents solutions. In light of the company's most recent $5 million Solar manufacturing investment announced in April 2022, OMCO Solar has now spent a total of $75 million on equipment and tools at its four domestic plants in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana and Ohio. OMCO Solar's latest investment focuses on manufacturing the OMCO Origin Tracker torque tube in Indiana and Arizona. "With more than 65 years of experience in advanced steel production and more than a decade of proprietary shelf and tracker development, OMCO Solar has a long history of commitment to domestic manufacturing," said Gary Schuster, president and CEO of OMCO Holdings. "In fact, we are the only shelf and tracker company with all U.S. manufacturing locations that enable direct factory shipping with the shortest lead time and lowest shipping rates." To further expand the capacity of its Indiana operations, the company added an additional facility and now has more than 500,000 square feet of domestic manufacturing capacity at its four domestic plant locations.