Ultra-Long Span PV Tracker

The array length of a conventional tracker is limited by the effort arm of the drive, structural rigidity and damper configuration, so a single tracking line can only reach a limited length and requires more drive units driving separate sections. The ultra-long span PV tracker takes a different route: prestressed steel cables carry PV modules continuously along the array, while vertical posts support the array independently at each span and lock independently. A single array can be arranged continuously from 300 m to 1000 m, carrying more than 520 modules.

Behind the length is a change in drive density: an entire ultra-long array uses only one ultra-low-power motor of no more than 180W, one slew drive and one tracking controller, removing more than 90% of electrical failure points at the source.

First, lower material and logistics costs. At the same installed capacity, steel consumption is about 40% lower than conventional trackers; thanks to highly modular split design, stacking volume of split parts is reduced by about 30%, lowering container occupancy and ocean freight volume at the same time. Less steel also directly lowers embodied carbon across the project lifecycle, helping overseas projects optimize their carbon footprint and meet carbon-tariff type compliance requirements.

Second, lower failure point density. Drive units, dampers, bearings and lubrication are the main sources of failure in conventional trackers. The ultra-long span solution compresses the drive of an entire array into one motor and one slew drive, removes dampers, and adopts lubrication-free, bearing-free structures at all rotating and joint positions, significantly reducing the number of serviceable parts.

Third, simpler construction and maintenance. The product uses a split plug-in modular structure without on-site calibration, assembled by plug-in connections on site for higher installation efficiency. On the maintenance side, the slew drive corresponding to 1MW can be replaced completely by two skilled workers within one hour, with no on-site calibration or re-inspection, and the system returns to operation immediately after replacement.

The advantage of an ultra-long span rests on the premise that the array can extend continuously, so it suits large, regularly shaped and gently undulating sites best:

• Level desert and Gobi PV bases — open sites allow the array to be laid out continuously in large blocks, maximizing the savings in steel and foundations.
• Open water surfaces and tidal flats — long-span layout reduces the number of posts in the water and leaves passages for aquaculture operations and maintenance. For humid and water-vapor environments, corrosion protection for cables, anchorages and metal components is designed specifically for the corrosivity of the water body.
• Flat sites such as wastewater treatment plants and coal mining subsidence areas — clear site boundaries and uniform ground conditions suit continuous array layout.

The flexible cable structure itself tolerates greater deformation, making it more forgiving of site unevenness than rigid brackets. However, because the array is arranged as an ultra-long continuous line, highly undulating terrain such as mountainous sites must be evaluated separately by our engineers based on span, height differences between posts and foundation conditions.

The layout of an ultra-long array requires the following conditions to be clarified before our engineers propose a specific arrangement and configuration:

• Installed capacity — determines the number of arrays and the module layout of each array.
• Site location and shape — determines array orientation, continuous length and zoning.
• Ground or water surface type — determines the foundation type (for example, pile foundations on ground projects) and the corrosion protection configuration.
• Wind speed and wind pressure conditions — determine the structural wind redundancy and the parameters of the AI wind protection.
• Geological conditions — determine foundation design and post spacing.
• Planned schedule — determines the batch supply and delivery plan.

One point deserves emphasis: longer is not automatically better. Array length, structural rigidity, drive torque and foundation conditions constrain one another, so the final solution is determined by our engineers together with the project conditions, avoiding any sacrifice of structural safety redundancy in pursuit of span.

Backed by the world-class PV steel industrial cluster in Tianjin, the company achieves an annual delivery capacity above 30GW and has the strength to deliver large-scale global clean energy plants, supporting batch supply and scheduled delivery for large centralized PV projects.

Before mass production, owners, supervisors and EPC teams may witness the accelerated marathon fatigue testing of the complete tracker on site, verifying structural fatigue, cyclic loads and extreme-condition performance equivalent to a full 25-year service life. The company-built century-equivalent weathering test system and structural safety validation carried out with universities complete the pre-delivery verification chain. The product carries a 20-year automotive-grade overall warranty, with a 20-year warranty on the slew drive and a 15-year warranty on the tracking controller.