Major innovation in fixed mounts - no array spacing

U.S. GameChange Solar is a major supplier of PV mounts and has consistently ranked among the top tracking mounts shipped globally. However, like other tracking mount manufacturers, Game Change Solar also supplies fixed mounts.

Recently, GameChange Solar launched its innovative "MaxDensity" east-west tilting fixed mounting system, which is available globally at a price of $0.029/watt. The highlight of the system is that it does not require array spacing, which greatly improves land utilization.

People have become accustomed to installing PV modules facing directly south, but north-south orientation necessitates spacing between the PV arrays to avoid shading of the front arrays on the columns behind them. At higher latitudes, the required front-to-back spacing will be greater, thus increasing the amount of land available for the PV plant.

While the spacing between arrays can be used for O&M access, the cost of the land taken up can be considerable. If the components can be tilted to the east and west, then there is no need to worry about leaning on the south side of the components to block the north side of the components, and the array spacing hardly needs to be considered!

Some analysts believe that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west every day, and that facing east and west is also a frontal orientation to the sun at certain times of the day. A PV array mounted to the south, on the other hand, is also a front-facing sun at noon.

Although the sun is usually considered to be best at noon, the fact is that the sun at 2 or 3 p.m. is sometimes better than noon, and some PV plants will choose to face a south-west orientation. For PV arrays tilted east-west, the afternoon hours are also very well utilized.

In addition, Game Change Solar believes that the lack of spacing between arrays, or the small spacing between arrays, also makes more sense in terms of resistance to wind loads. With the entire PV plant connected together, the system is able to handle wind speeds of up to 120 mph and snow loads of up to 10 psf.

Because of the increased wind resistance, the materials and components used for fixed mounts are also simpler and less costly than typical fixed tilt mounts.

In addition, despite the fixed east-west tilt, the arrays can likewise be designed to be north-high and south-low, allowing the modules to face east and west while appropriately appearing in a north-high and south-low arrangement, adding a bit of south-facing orientation, similar to a slanting uniaxial design, which generates a bit better power.