小编
英国光伏项目开发商Castillium在与美国企业QBotix签署一份采购协议后，其英国至少45MW的项目将启用下一代跟踪系统。
来自隐藏模式并且2012年九月推出其机器人控制双轴光伏组件跟踪系统，QBotix的创新技术日前取得一些成功，尤其在日本。
然而，该与Castillium的协议强调，该项目开发商相信，该技术足够成熟，适合英国的条件，支持为大型、地面安装光伏项目使用双轴跟踪器。
Castillium总监德里克·米切尔(Derek Mitchell)表示：“由于降低关税使得商业压力提高，QBotix降低太阳能跟踪技术成本的创新方法将提高整个英国在太阳能光伏项目中的金融竞争力，扩大太阳能光伏的范围。”
在PV Tech的姊妹杂志之一，去年底的一版Solar Business Focus UK 杂志中，Williams Renewables业务发展经理大卫·里德(David Read)强调，在英国启用Deger Energie双轴跟踪器的小型项目的产量表现的数据，其大幅优于固定安装系统。
该分析透露，在长期低光夏天的条件中跟踪太阳是该项目超过预期性能水平的一个重要方面。Deger Energie预计在相同位置，一座运营的电站发电量将是固定安装系统的138%。
然而，Williams Renewable项目发电量是预期的168%。
QBotix系统号称较现有固定安装系统的性能高40%，同时使平准化发电成本(LCOE)降低高达20%。
QBotix系统的一个关键特色是利用自主机器人，一个是主要的，另一个是备用的，控制300kW的太阳能组件。这两个机器人在轨道上运行，调整各自安装系统以优化连续面对太阳，其取代常规跟踪器技术使用的多个单独电机和控制器。
该合作伙伴预计首批项目将于2014年中旬开工建设。
January 13, 2014 — Menlo Park, CA & Edinburgh, Scotland — QBotix, which harnesses the power of robotic tracking to optimize solar plant operation, today announced its further international expansion through a 45 MW supply contract with UK-based developer Castillium. QBotix will provide the Robotic Tracking System (RTS) for use in Castillium’s pipeline of more than 200 MW of ground-mounted solar PV projects throughout the UK.
The combination of up to 45% more energy generation and similar installation costs results in RTS project cost savings of up to 20% over traditional mounting systems.
“Castillium is delighted to be working with QBotix. QBotix’s innovative approach to reducing the cost of solar tracking technology will improve the financial competitiveness of solar PV projects across the UK, extending the range of solar PV as commercial pressures increase through reducing tariffs,” said Derek Mitchell, Castillium Director.
QBotix and Castillium expect the first projects to begin construction in the middle of 2014.
“QBotix is pleased to begin this relationship with the experienced Castillium team,” said Matt Lugar, QBotix VP of Sales & Marketing. “Their intelligent focus on distributed generation projects is a perfect fit for the RTS, which is able to optimize energy production at high latitudes and in irregularly shaped land parcels.”
The RTS’s flexible project design capabilities and its optimized daily and annual power curve maximize the quantity and quality of power production, while enabling efficient utilization of available land area and dual-use with agriculture or other activities.
QBotix has already successfully installed projects in Japan in 2013. As part of its international expansion, QBotix will exhibit at several international conferences this year, including PV Expo 2014 in Tokyo, Japan February 26-28 and Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany June 4-6.
About QBotix. QBotix creates rugged, intelligent, mobile robots for their optimized tracker system that dramatically improve project economics in the commercial and utility-scale solar sectors. Using the new paradigm of solar robotics, the QBotix Robotic Tracking SystemTM (RTS) delivers project cost savings up to 20%, high system reliability and ease of installation. www.qbotix.com.
