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Solar veteran Dell Jones started working with trackers before most folks entered the solar industry.
"The first project I got involved with was at Florida Power & Light, which installed a tracking system at its general office in Miami in the early 80s. This tracking system was huge and bulky — a big noisy thing, about eight feet tall, four to five feet wide, three feet deep, somewhere around 150 decibels," he recalled.
Times have changed. Today there are smaller, quieter bespoke solutions designed with consideration of the architecture, environment, and site geology. But to get the most from your investment, Dell said you should evaluate five significant factors. It starts at the foundation level and extends through your asset's terrain, surface area, mechanical assembly and risk-adjusted security.
Dell is the key account manager for TrinaPro, the all-in-one smart solar utility solution offered by Changzhou, China-based Trina Solar. Since 1997, Trina has pioneered sustainable solar energy solutions, including solar modules, tracker systems, and inverters.
On today's Tactical Tuesday, Dell explains how to maximize profits when installing or specifying tracker systems for utility-scale or large distributed-generation solar projects. We dive into a checklist of five ways to improve profitability by integrating trackers into your large-scale project development process.
Dell has some 40 years of experience in the solar industry and deep knowledge of trackers from his work as a product manager at TerraSmart and other industry-leading companies. More than 80% of today's utility-scale projects are tracker-based, and Dell has been at the forefront during the product's rise to dominance.
Trina's business footprint extends to more than 100 countries and regions, including regional headquarters in San Jose, California, Tokyo and Singapore; sales offices in Madrid, Mexico, Milan, Sydney, Chile, and Dubai; and manufacturing facilities in Thailand and Vietnam. And those who’ve followed my career will recall that I actually worked for Trina once-upon-a-time!
Join us for some insightful conversation — and up your solar game by downloading Trina's whitepaper to see how your decisions impact the LCOE of your project. In our discussion today, I highlighted some of the things I learned from the whitepaper and even recommend specific pages you might find useful!
Learn more by downloading it here.
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“What’s really unique about trackers and ground mount as opposed to rooftop installations, you know, they have to deal with the building and the wind and all that. But really, you know, a lot of people don’t really understand that every tracker project is a bespoke design based on a lot of conditions, environmental conditions, and civil conditions, soil, soil type rocks, wind, snow, those are all things that govern the final design of a tracker.”
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.