A typical solar tracker system contains thousands of fasteners, yet the importance of these relatively simple, inexpensive and mission-critical components can sometimes be overlooked. Fasteners play a crucial role in ensuring the structural integrity, reliability and safety of the system. Each fastener connects two or more components to create a securely fastened joint, which transmits both static and dynamic loads. In some systems, the joint also serves as a low-resistance electrical conduction path for grounding purposes.
The paper compares traditional threaded fasteners with lockbolts, and finds that lockbolts have distinct advantages for connecting permanent PV racking and tracking system joints. To meet the strict quality and reliability requirements necessary to ensure the 30-year-plus operational lives of our trackers, Nextracker sees lockbolts as the superior fastener choice.
Download this white paper to learn more. The accompanying video shows a demonstration of the ease of lockbolt fastener installation on a tracker.
