Solar FlexRack’s Fixed Tilt FlexRack Series G3-X is fully operational for Azimuth Energy’s 1.1 megawatt solar project in the Bahamas.
The microgrid includes the largest PV array operating in the Bahamas to date and was designed to withstand up to 180 mile-per-hour winds while providing reliable power in the face of increasingly severe hurricanes.
A category 5 storm has sustained winds of 157 mph or more, according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
Azimuth Energy chose Solar FlexRack’s G3-X mounting solution for its ability to withstand very high winds as well as for its adaptability, corrosion resistance, and speedy installation time.
The G3-X has a four-posts-per-table design, protection from heavy corrosion, and allows PV models to be individually bolted instead of being top clamped. This allows for maximum hurricane survivability.
The microgrid also includes a 2 MWh battery plant that enables all resort generators to be turned off for the first time in 50 years. This will result in cleaner air and large savings for up to 100 residents and guests of the resort at any given time.
Prior to the installation, the resort was using generators that operated day and night without stopping. Thanks to the microgrid, around two-thirds of the island’s diesel fuel consumption will be eliminated and save 1,800 metric tons of carbon emissions per year.
Once the system has paid for itself, the island owners will continue to save over $700,000 a year thanks to lower operating costs.
Reference- PRNewswire, PV Magazine, Solar FlexRack website, Clean Technica