pv magazine Webinar | Meeting the expectation of a 30+ PV project operation lifetime, from the ground up

Initiative partner: ArcelorMittal

Utility scale solar developers are increasingly factoring in very long project lifetimes in their financial models. Given this, expectations for the durability of the components have never been higher. The mounting structure is literally the component on which the weight of these expectations rest – whether fixed tilt or single-axis tracker. But is the material from which the mounting structure is constructed built to last 25, 30 or even more years in the field?

Additionally, utility-scale PV projects are being built in increasingly challenging environments. With solar’s low LCOE, the number of locations in which large-scale solar is the lowest cost source of new generation is expanding rapidly. This too introduces new challenges for mounting structures, such as soil or airborne salinity, heavy snow loads in winter, or uneven and unstable terrain.

Having supplied some 15 to 20 GW of PV projects with the extremely durable Magnelis® steel, the team from ArcelorMittal have built an unparalleled track record in supplying long-lived PV assets. Additionally, the world’s biggest steel supplier has up to 10 years of field data from solar projects across three continents, which will be presented in this free pv magazine Webinar.

Alongside the learnings from the field data, the ArcelorMittal team will provide new insights into accessing and deploying highly durable PV mounting structures including:
• How the Magnelis® product range has been enlarged to supply a range of different site specificities – both in terms of the steel coating and grade.
• How the production footprint of Magnelis® steel has been expanded to meet global PV market needs.
• Insights from testing in offshore locations – for the supply of floating PV applications.
• The results of third-party testing and certification programs of the Magnelis® product range.

Additional to the enhanced durability provided by Magnelis®, opportunities for repowering will also be discussed – where modules and power electronics can be updated without the replacement of mounting structures. Module and inverter technology are evolving fast and hardware updates need not to occur from the ground up.

With approximately 50% of the total Capex of a utility scale project, the modules, resting on the shoulders of the mounting structure, there is an imperative for project developers and EPCs to ensure that the materials are up to the job.

Get involved in the discussion and assess for yourself whether the Magnelis® protection performances will influence your material selection for mounting structure rails, poles, torque tubes and other equipment.

Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the webinar through a chat window. Jonathan Gifford from pv magazine will be the moderator of this webinar.

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This webinar was recorded on 4 February 2021.