The American company introduced a hail storage hanger, a hanger for north-south orientation and a rail system for clustered decoupling designs.
Affordable Wire Management (AWM) provides system balancing components typically used in utility-scale solar projects. The company announced three new products in September at the RE+ clean energy conference in Anaheim, California.
First, AWM introduced a hail storage hanger, part of the company’s cable management system. The pendant is custom designed for Nextracker’s NX Horizon Hail Pro tracer system.
Featuring the new Hail Pro-75, with a 75-degree stowage angle, Nextracker products are designed to improve the survivability of solar panels against potentially devastating hailstones. AWM said it analyzed more than 20 cable arrangements to ensure the Hail-Stow Hanger fits under the Hail Pro-75 when stowed while still delivering the same level of capacity optimization.
“Adopting a 75-degree hailstow tracker position represents a proactive and effective strategy to protect solar installations from damage,” said Dan Smith, AWM Chief Technology Officer. “Until now, however, no compatible wire management solution has been available.”
Second, AWM introduced the Sumac Rail for clustered decoupling designs and powertrain crossings. The wire management product replaces cable trays, reduces the number of poles and lowers steel costs, AWM said.
Sumac is a sag-free alternative to messenger cables, designed for short-term scenarios where precise cable arrangements are required. The aluminum alloy rail helps the cable management system safely navigate tracker drivetrains and other critical areas, AWM said. The rail does not require end posts and replaces the cable tray, cable ties and cleats typically required in these structures. It can accommodate additional loads, eliminating the need for additional pole placement around decoupling clusters and drivetrains, AWM said.
“Our SUMAC Rail sets an industry-leading standard for safety, reliability and usability,” said Scott Rand, CEO and co-founder of AWM. “In addition, replacing cable ducts with SUMAC means less material and minimal labor, with the advantage that there is no deflection. SUMAC ensures a uniform cable layout throughout the site, which also means uniformity in capacity.”
Third, AWM released Pinyon, an asymmetric hanger for north-south trunk bus systems. The product uses an asymmetrical structure that supports the messenger cable directly on the poles, eliminating the need for support brackets. This reduces material and labor, reduces moment loads on piles and minimizes the area required for a cable management system, according to AWM.
“Pinyon is especially useful in specific terrain conditions and layouts, especially where multiple trackers are installed in long columns from north to south. Its versatile application extends beyond trackers to include fixed-tilt mounting systems, further demonstrating its adaptability in various utility-scale solar configurations,” AWM said.
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