Nextracker, a provider of solar trackers, has introduced a fresh solar tracker foundation system known as NX Anchor.
PV Tech attended an event yesterday (September 09) where Nextracker showcased its newest product. The event was synchronized with the commencement of the RE+ multi-technology clean energy trade show in Anaheim, California.
The NX Anchor system is crafted to enhance the progress of ground-mounted solar PV projects on soft and reactive soils, such as expansive and frost-heave conditions.
Alongside the introduction of a new solar foundation system, Nextracker revealed NX Foundation Solutions, incorporating recent additions to the company’s solar foundation portfolio, including Ojjo and Solar Pile International (SPI).
During June, the firm acquired Ojjo, a solar foundation company based in the United States, to enhance its utility-scale PV foundation operations. Ojjo’s foundation system is designed for rocky, mixed, and hard-rock soils.
Just a month later, Nextracker completed the acquisition of Solar Pile International (SPI), a US-based supplier of solar PV foundations, for a sum of US$48 million. Similar to NX Anchor, SPI’s foundation system is specifically designed to address the requirements of softer and more expansive soil conditions, as well as sites prone to frost heave.
One of the features included in Nextracker’s NX Foundation Solutions is the utilization of Ojjo’s Truss Driver, the company’s specialized pile-driving machine.
“At the event where Ojjo’s foundation system, the Earth Truss, and Nextracker’s NX Anchor were showcased, Dan Shugar, the founder and CEO of Nextracker, highlighted, “This allows us to effectively tackle the full range of geotechnical and ground conditions found worldwide.”
Shugar further stated, “NX Foundation Solutions offer our developer and EPC clients a comprehensive suite of technologies and services designed to address a wide variety of soil types, spanning from rocky to soft and everything in between.”
In an interview with PV Tech, Sol Hutson, the General Manager of Foundation Solutions at Nextracker, explained that the recent acquisitions of Ojjo and SPI in the foundation business were strategically undertaken to address the growing complexity of geotechnical conditions. The aim is to provide cost-effective solutions for traditional foundations in the face of these challenging conditions.
Hutson emphasized, “Our investments have been made to prominently introduce and expand solutions tailored for these conditions.”
Developing and building solar PV projects in the US is becoming more challenging as either due to the type of soil or because of non-uniform slopes.
Stephen Jones, President of Renewables at Primoris Services Corporation, expressed his belief that these solutions have the potential to streamline the design, procurement, and installation processes, while also minimizing risks for EPC contractors and developers. He anticipates that the industry as a whole will benefit from these advancements.
