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TST Series 

Storm Hardened Solar Tracking Solution

“When choosing locking hardware, avoid split washers, nylon nuts, serratedflanged nuts, and doublenutting, as these technologies are proven ineffective under Junker testing—the industry standard vibration test. Wedge-lock washers are one example of a highly effective, economical class of locking hardware.”-Robinson 2018

SEMS Tilt Solar Tracker (TST) Series is a ground-mounted storm hardened solar tracker designed to adjust to the sun's altitude throughout the day. This solar tracker is intended for use in higher latitudes of the earth where the sun's altitude varies significantly with the four seasons. They were developed for use in the Residential, Commercial, and Utility-scale solar racking markets. SEMS field-proven patent-pending technologies are incorporated into the TST Series making it resilient, cost-effective, and efficient. Lifetime value is optimized by reducing risks and maximizing energy yield that delivers a bankable Levelized Cost of Energy. This helps project developers and asset owners realize the best performance from their projects.

Engineer for Strength & Resiliency

Through its effective design, TST Series reduces potential failure points and risks of damage while maintaining reliability, strength, and system performance in real-world conditions.

  • ​​Constructed of closed-form 6005A Aluminum and galvanized steel.

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  • Reduces the risk of extreme bending and twisting during critical weather events with decoupled racking sections.

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  • Prevents hole elongation in load-bearing joints by enhancement with our field-proven, patent-pending shock bearing technology.​

    • ​Requires no lubrication or maintenance.

  • Distributed drives and decoupled racking sections minimize wind-induced oscillation

    • Eliminates the need for damper and stow technologies.

  • Mitigates relaxation and self-loosening of fasteners with grade 5 hardware with Nord-Lock wedge lock washers.

Consistent Performance, Elevated Energy Yield & Lower OPEX

TST Series achieves a balance between tracker operation (i.e. performance), energy yield, and operation and maintenance costs (OPEX). This reduces risk in real-world conditions while ensuring the solar modules can produce energy for the longest amount of time. Delivering a bankable and consistent levelized cost of energy over the system life while reducing operating costs, by decreasing the amount of planned and unplanned maintenance.

  • More solar modules per row achieved with decoupled racking, distributed drives, and independent rows. ​​

    • Optimized for 1000 and 1500 volt strings.

    • ​Up to 320 with TST 8.0 and 160 with TST 4.0

  • Superior yield with one real-time sensor with back up control per control box.

    • One decentralized control box per 10 linear actuators

    • Designed to adjust to the sun's altitude throughout the day in higher latitudes where the sun's altitude varies significantly, delivering superior energy yield.​

  • Access between rows is increased by having no mechanical components between rows using 240V AC linear actuators instead of link drive architecture.​

    • Eliminates additional solar panels and batteries of self-powered drives.

    • Removes the expense of battery replacement.

  • Autonomous decentralized control boxes mitigate energy loss during planned and unplanned events.

    • One control box per ten linear actuators

  • Grade 5 hardware with Nord Lock wedge lock washers mitigates relaxation and self-loosening of fasteners reducing the risk of damage during critical weather events while reducing the systems OPEX.

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Streamlined Installation

TST Series features bolted connections using standardized hardware. Only standard tools and equipment are necessary for assembly. The efficient design allows for it to be assembled in a logical, step-by-step manner with no additional steps required to square racking.

  • Solar panels can be mounted without the use of ladders.

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  • Assembly is achieved with bolted connections requiring only basic hand tools.

    • No additional steps to square racking.

    • Field cutting, drilling, or welding are not required for assembly.

  • Kitted solution with no third-party sourcing of additional components.

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  • Rapid and secure solar module installation with our simple and robust dual clamp design. ​

    • Twice the resistance to critical wind events over the standard single clamp design;​

    • ​Nord-Lock wedge-locking washers mitigate the effects of severe vibration and dynamic loads caused by wind that loosens module fasters.

Flexibility & Optimal Panel Density

Decoupled sections with independent row architecture and distributed drives optimize flexibility and panel density with respect to site layout, construction, and maintenance of even the most irregular shaped sites or non-adjacent lots.

  • Design permits the construction of any row length up to forty decoupled racking sections.

  • Enhanced row length flexibility with distributed 240 volt AC linear actuators

    • ​One linear actuator per four sections of racking.

  • ​Achieves optimal panel density in irregularly shaped sites resulting in optimum ground coverage, energy yield, and performance under real-world conditions with two different models.

    • TST 4.0

    • TST 8.0​

  • Piles and poles are designed to work with a variety of foundation techniques.

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  • Mitigates relaxation and self loosening of fasteners with grade 5 hardware with Nord-Lock wedge lock washers

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  • Self-aligning racks allow up to 10° grade along the row axis.

Lifetime Quality & Value

The TST Series offers quality and reliability while mitigating risks with a life expectancy of  50-years on structure, 25-years on drives, and controls that are backed by an industry-leading warranty of 15 years on structure, drive, and controls, that is extendable to 20-years.  Coupled with SEMS operator maintenance training program, design principles, and field-proven technologies, TST Series is cost-effective and adds value for system installers, engineers, operators, and asset owners by reducing risk while delivering a bankable Levelized Cost of Energy.

"Every installation is unique, as are the developers who must decide what level of risk they are willing to accept with their installation. Designing a more robust system will reduce the likelihood of failure and decrease the necessary repair costs, but this comes with a cost premium. Some installers may be willing to risk system failure or loss and  potential higher rebuilding costs over the increased costs of a hardened system." -NREL 2020

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