16 JA N UA RY / F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 9
RBI Solar's new fixed-tilt design
sacrifices height for ground coverage
By Chris Crowell
Get Low
MOUNTING
NEW
IN
A
s the solar industry's quest for maxi-
mum energy harvest continues toward
bifacial solar tracker systems, RBI
Solar feels there is still room to
improve upon fixed-tilt ground-mount solar
systems with a more specialized, pre-assembled
design. The newest addition to its fixed-tilt
system portfolio, the Dahlia, is designed to do
just that by combining a super low clearance (2
ft) and low tilt angle (max of 12.5 degrees) to
tighten up row spacing and increase the ground
coverage ratio (GCR) of a project.
The Dahlia design couples this maximized
GCR with slickness — a streamlined design
that cuts out parts, simplifies connectors and has
a low trailing edge for a quicker installation.
"The top chord / top beam attaches directly
to the posts, so we don't need to have an addi-
tional bracket to make the connection," says
Kevin Ward, director of marketing at RBI Solar,
though a bracket can be added if it's needed.
"We are trying to do anything we can to limit
the number of connections that have to be made
in the field, which is why we even ship the top
chord / top beam pre-assembled with the purlin
brackets already attached to them."
Obviously this system won't work on all sites.
The attributes that maximize GCR certain
applications will preclude it from deployment in
others. The snow load requirement for example,
20 psf, is a nonstarter in some areas. RBI is see-
ing the most U.S. demand for Dahlia in the
Southeast and Southwest right now.
If your goal is to deploy as much PV as you
can in a given space — and to pack in as many
of these projects as you can in a given year —
then the Dahlia is worth a look.
Chris Crowell is the managing editor of Solar
Builder.
