Articles from the Engineering Team Canal Solar

Tests carried out by LESF (Energy and Photovoltaic Systems Laboratory) validate and recommend the use of ARaymond products in photovoltaic systems. ARaymond, in its various plants around the world, has been adopting a refined practice for some time: subjecting the structural assembly (consisting of module, structure and clips) to rigorous laboratory tests. These assessments include static, dynamic and fatigue load analyses. The objective is to demonstrate that the French manufacturer's products not only work, but also deliver superior performance compared to conventional forms of fixation. This approach aims to demonstrate that the company's 157 years of experience translate into high-quality technology and engineering for its fasteners. In some cases, customers request these tests due to requirements from module manufacturers. This aims to ensure that the fixings maintain the integrity and functioning of the modules, even when subjected to efforts and loads greater than those recommended in the manufacturers' datasheets. Understanding the behavior of products under extreme stress is essential. In other cases, these types of tests are carried out for design validation or simply for experimental purposes of studying and developing new technologies. Last year, to consolidate the PROCME Brasil Group's investments, ARaymond sought out the LESF (Energy and Photovoltaic Systems Laboratory). This laboratory, sponsored by BYD, has advanced technological equipment to carry out tests on photovoltaic systems. During the visit, it became clear that the tests requested by the group, in partnership with the fastener manufacturer, the Canadian module manufacturer and the Spanish tracker manufacturer Axial, could be carried out to prove the excellent performance of the fastener clips throughout the system. Marcelo Naufal, Director of the company PROCME Brasil, highlights that by bringing this international experience to Brazil, this group of companies offers the market not only the technical vision of each component, but also the vision of the complete set. This provides investors with broader assurance of the system as a whole. The needs of these large companies were born at Intersolar 2023, where André Soffiatti, business Development Grupo PROCME Brasil; Priscila Marzullo, General Director of Axial Brasil; Bruno Guerra, sales director LATAM at Canadian; and Alexander Pircher, CEO ARaymond Brasil, conceived a remarkable initiative: carrying out comprehensive tests on the entire photovoltaic array. These tests, conducted in partnership with the Unicamp technology center, revealed surprising results related to the fixing clips. According to IEC 61215 and IEC 62782 standards, it is considered satisfactory for a photovoltaic system to withstand 1000 load pressure cycles throughout the tests carried out on this system. However, ARaymond's fixing clips, when integrated into the complete system (clips, structure and photovoltaic module), exceeded this expectation by 1395 additional cycles, totaling 2395 cycles, even though the applied load was exceeded by 60% of that specified in the standard for this test. This exceptional performance caught the attention of Unicamp, which is now planning a more detailed study of these fixing clips. Mendelsson, the engineer responsible for the laboratory, highlighted the relevance of this excellent result. The PROCME Group prioritizes methods and tests to evaluate the performance of equipment under real operating conditions such as accelerated aging in real sunlight, vibrations and mechanical tests. According to André Soffiatti, Business Development Grupo PROCME Brasil, only through a controlled measurement setup is it possible to predict the wear and tear that equipment will face over time in its natural operating environment, providing a more realistic analysis of long-term performance. Alexander Pircher, CEO ARaymond Brasil, highlights that ARaymond believes that his role is to contribute with our knowledge to accelerate market learning. And, to this end, the company has the initiative to bring best practices to the market, as was the case with these tests of the system as a whole. This is part of ARaymond's DNA. We would like to thank all our partners who contributed to the realization of this project, from the first visits to the Laboratory to sending the materials and carrying out the tests.