The Australian company Solspan has unveiled a vertical solar wall system of 6.4 kW for applications in agrivoltaic projects. It measures 4 mx 4 m and can be connected to other units to make systems the size of MW.
Sydney -based company Solspan has unveiled a vertical solar system for agrivoltaic applications.
The Solspan system has individual vertical units that use the patented Wiraway roll-formed steel panel of the company that has already been commercialized. The units measure 4 mx 4 m and can be interconnected to create the desired length of the wall. Both sides of the wall are equipped with solar panels with a generation capacity of 200 W per m2 wall face.
Co-founder and director Brett Cooper of Solspan said that each individual vertically aligned unit offers 32 m2 surface area, equal to 6.4 kW generation capacity per unit.
“The concept we are working on is to place this in agricultural -productive country that otherwise may not be aimed at solar farms because you do not want to get the country out of agricultural production,” he said. “With this approach we believe that we can develop these highly efficient Agrivoltaic projects that most of the productivity In place and could even be raised. “
Solspan has now deployed three of the vertical solar units on its 100-hectare research property in the vicinity of Carcoar, about 50 kilometers southwest of Bathurst in the central western region of New South Wales.
The walls are installed 18 m apart and are brace at the bottom in a steel C section with overhead cables that offer structural stiffness, while agricultural machinery can still travel safely. The outside walls are tied up at 45 ° back to anchors.
“That is the only place where the infrastructure will disrupt agricultural machinery,” said Solspan co-founder and chief executive office wade blazley.
Blazley, a former width farmer, said that the design of the vertical wall of Solspan facilitates efficient land use, and notes that adding rows of upright solar panels on agricultural land generates renewable power in the morning and in the evening, while offering windscrees and giving shadow for crops.
“We can have 10 walls that are 100 m long on 20-30 m apart north-south, causing channels to be created by the middle where all agricultural activity takes place and the two end walls have tied the cables on the outside on the ground and that is it,” he said, adding that the WirraWay trapezoidal panel forms the foundation of the Fundal Paneel that the Fundal State of the Fundal Stool that the Fundal Stool forms the Fundal Stool that the Fundal State The Fundal State The Fundal State The Fundal State The Fundal State The Fundal State The Fundal State The Fundal State that The Fundal State The Fundum The Fundom State The Fundum The Fundal State The Fundum The Fundom State The Fundum The Fundum The Fundom State The Fundum The Fundom State The Fundom The Fundom State The Fundom The Fundom State The Fundom The Fundom The Fundom The Fund enlarge.
“We can go much higher if necessary,” he said. The WirraWay panel was tested many years ago and we know that it is a way of Overgin Deal for what it does in other applications. I suspect that if necessary it can go up to seven, eight or nine meters high. “
Blazley said that the end walls will wear around 80% of the wind load, while the side cables will take all horizontal forces and also serve practical agricultural use.
“That is where you carry out your electrical cabling instead of putting it in the ground, which would be problematic because your agricultural plant would disturb it,” he said. “Those headlines can also support the nets to protect vineyards and orchards and can also be a fantastic assembly point for sprinklers for irrigation.”
Solspan now wants to set up a demonstration project of 1 MW to calculate the benefits of the vertical wall system.
“We think we probably need about two hectares of land to support this,” said Cooper. “Ideally, we would like to demonstrate the project in a working wheat farm or research star farm, where we can have a few hectares that wheat grow under our walls and another hectare in the neighborhood that is not, and productivity can then be compared.”
In addition to Agrivoltaics applications, Solspan suggested that its vertical system can double as fences, shadow structures or wind schedules.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to work with us and reuse part of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
Popular content
