Contract with Fonroche Energie includes engineering support services to ensure optimal tracker performance.
Exosun, a leading provider of solar tracking technologies for utility-scale ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) plants, has signed an agreement with Fonroche Energie, a major player in the renewable energy field, to supply 12 MW of trackers and product-associated services for the ‘Le Betout’ PV plant located in South West France.
The 12 MW plant, financed by Capenergie 2, a fund dedicated to renewable energy and managed by capital investment firm Omnes Capital, will be installed over 79 acres in Saint-Hélène, near Bordeaux, and is expected to produce 16,900 MWh annually—enough electricity to power 4,828 homes.
In its role as construction contractor, Fonroche Energie has selected Exosun to supply and commission 81 Exotrack HZ horizontal single-axis solar trackers. They will support 40,640 panels and approximately 850,000 sq ft of PV modules, orienting them toward the sun to significantly increase output throughout the year in comparison to fixed-tilt structures. At the heart of Exotrack HZ is the Exobox,which enables on-site or remote (via the customer’s SCADA) centralized tracker control, as well as providing tracking data for monitoring.
Moreover, Exosun will support Fonroche throughout the construction, commissioning and operation phases of the plant in order to ensure the optimal performance of the Exotrack HZ. To do so, Exosun will provide Fonroche with tracker installation training, delivered with specific tools, and tracker O&M training.
“We are very pleased with this first partnership with Fonroche. The confidence granted to us by both our client and the project’s funder, Omnes Capital, reflects the quality of our technology and support service capabilities. We aim to optimize the plant’s profitability and obtain a rapid return on investment.” comments Frédéric Conchy, President and Founder of Exosun.
Tracker installation begins this month with commissioning scheduled for the third quarter of 2014.