NEXTracker, CleanMax Solar to set up tracker system in Chennai

American solar solutions provider NEXTracker announced on Monday that it is partnering with India's CleanMax Solar to supply a 30 MW solar tracker system to a project in Tamil Nadu.

"NEXTracker has partnered with CleanMax Solar, India's largest solar developer for corporate consumers, to supply 30 MW of its advanced NX Horizon single-axis trackers to a project in Tamil Nadu," the US firm said in a statement.

"The grid-connected project will deliver energy to a major IT consumer in Chennai, under a long-term contract with CleanMax Solar by which 100 per cent of the electricity generated will be consumed in Tamil Nadu. The system is expected to be operational by the end of Q1 2017," it said.

Solar trackers systems direct solar panels or modules towards the sun, changing their orientation throughout the day to follow the sun's path and maximise energy capture.

NEXTracker said it has recently supplied India's largest solar tracker project to the 105 MW Adani Power plant in Punjab.

The company, which has supplied close to 6 gigawatt (GW) of tracker systems worldwide, said its "trackers feature fewer foundations and assembly points, helping to mitigate geotechnical risk and accelerate project construction schedules".

"Our advanced solar tracker technology and experience in the India market will complement CleanMax Solar's efforts to accelerate India's private sector adoption of renewable power generation," NEXTracker Chief Executive Dan Shugar said at an event here.

"As the leading provider of solar power to corporates in India, we are always looking for the best technology to increase the output from our solar plants, and NEXTracker's technology complements this approach perfectly," said CleanMax Solar Managing Director Kuldeep Jain.

According to the statement, India's solar tracker market is expected to grow exponentially by 2021, amounting to 31 per cent of ground mount projects, up from 7 per cent in 2016.

With power utilities expected to account for 80 per cent of new projects in the next few years, solar trackers will have a major role in increasing utility yields by maximising energy capture.

--IANS

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