From pv magazine Germany
Germany-based solar project developer BEC-Energie Consult GmbH has developed a self-supporting mounting structure for ground-mounted PV projects.
The company said it is now testing its patented “BECU” system at a 7 MW pilot facility in Sonneberg, Germany.
“The core idea of the patent is to exploit the self-supporting capacity of the photovoltaic module frame through the simplest, most stable, low-maintenance and space-saving installation possible in rows or blocks,” the company said.
The structure is south-oriented, with an incline of 9 degrees to 10 degrees.
“The holder reinforcing bar system, which leaves a gap of between 10 cm and 20 cm between the rows of modules depending on the design of the holder, consists of a galvanized reinforcing bar and 10 specially developed module holders,” said BEC-Energie Consult.
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The reinforcing bars are driven into the ground up to 1.3 meters deep using a ram or caulking hammer, depending on the quality of the soil.
BEC-Energie Consult claims that its transport costs are lower. It said that its structures could also be used in ground-level agrivoltaic projects, if designed appropriately.
Livestock could be kept below the modules, said BEC-Energie Consult. It is now working on enabling ground-level vegetable cultivation with the help of small, autonomously operating robots.
In a classic ground-mounted system with the “BECU” substructure, system owners could achieve 1.45 MW of output per hectare, according to the company. For ground-level agricultural PV systems, 1.2 MW per hectare could be achieved.
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