Ecobuild: New PV Mounting Solution For Residential And Light Commercial Use

At the Ecobuild exhibition held in London this week, Renusol unveiled a new mounting solution for small freestanding photovoltaic systems. The Micro Ground System (MGS) substructure is suitable for light commercial, agricultural and residential areas. The modular pre-assembled mounting kits, which can be customised to fit the size of the PV installation, are particularly attractive to distributors, as they significantly simplify logistics processes and do not necessitate any layout and design planning. The system is fixed to concrete foundations, meaning it can be easily rebuilt in the event of its owners relocating.

Only one installer is required to build the system

"Our new substructure is suitable for smaller ground-mounted solar installations with an output of approximately three to 20 kilowatts peak. There are currently very few mounting systems with modular extension kits on the market for freestanding installations of this size. And those available often require heavy machinery to anchor the system posts into the ground," reports Lars vom Stein, product manager at Renusol. "This is why we have developed a solution which is simply fixed to concrete foundations. Its design allows the system to be put together by one installer working alone."

Brackets are integrated into the rails, enabling the installer to easily hook and secure the module's upper edge into place without the need for any clamps. The lower edge of the module is then fixed using two adjustable clamps. In contrast, conventional mounting solutions demand four clamps to fasten each module, which increases installation time and requires two installers, one to position the module and the other to attach it.

Modular extensions

The system comprises three components: sigma posts, top chords and purlins. The base kit attaches twelve modules and it can be extended in accordance with the desired size of the solar installation thanks to the mounting system's modular design.

Margin for errors

The new mounting solution leaves room for small errors during installation. If, for example, the posts are not accurately fitted to the concrete foundations at a 90 degree angle, the joint on the mounting posts compensates for a discrepancy of several degrees. Distance deviations between the posts are tolerated due to slotted holes in the purlins.

Suitable for use on any type of subsoil

Since the MGS substructure is fitted onto concrete foundations, it can be positioned on any type of soil, from sandy to solid soil. The system's design does not call for pile-driving or ground-screw equipment nor does it require the costly excavation work usually needed to insert posts into the ground. Integrated cable ducts also prevent the installer from having to perform the laborious task of laying underground cables.

The MGS mounting system is on show at the Ecobuild exhibition in London until 10 March 2016 and commercially available shortly.

Ecobuild stand: E2310