BMG has extended the supply of Varvel gearboxes for small and medium power applications to include customised worm gearboxes for installation in photovoltaic solar tracking systems.
“As part of BMG’s commitment to providing alternative energy sources, the company works in conjunction with Varvel specialists and South African PV component manufacturers to design sustainable solutions for local conditions,” says Kelly Mac Iver, gears business unit manager, BMG. “Through close collaboration, BMG, Varvel and South African solar tracking manufacturers, PiA Solar SA, have redesigned mechanical drive components for solar tracking systems, to enhance cost-efficiency, increase installation speed and optimise the performance of every PV tracking installation.
“Customised Varvel worm gearboxes – designed to minimise losses associated with the energy conversion process – are incorporated in PiA Solar’s ContouR+ single-axis trackers. These maintenance-free gearboxes maximise efficiency by ensuring solar panels are always in the optimal position to track the sun.”
The PiA Solar tracker solution consists of a horizontal single-axis tracker that is capable of contour tracking the sun, both along and between rows of solar panels (up to 60 modules per row and 32 rows wide). The modular design requires no cutting, drilling or welding on-site and forms a mass-balanced system, reducing wear and self-consumption of the PV plant. The spring structure eliminates deviations in tilt within the rows, reduces peak power requirements of the electrical push-pull drive system, and also protects against oscillation of the system at low tilts.
BMG’s lightweight Varvel worm gearboxes are installed on solar panels to ensure that they are constantly in an optimal position to be able to track the sun. Versatile Varvel RT worm gearboxes have numerous advantages for PV installations, including an ingress protection rating of IP66. Other significant features include a high ratio of 1120:1 and the non-back driveability design for locking the solar panels in place, to resist external forces from moving the panels off their stopped position.
The Varvel range, which is designed for flexibility and interchangeability with other leading gearboxes, as well as easy mounting and quick lead times, enables BMG to offer customised power transmission solutions to users of gearboxes in diverse sectors.
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