»The Smarter E Europe«: Water-ballasted panel support for flat ground from Landatu Solar

Spanish company Landatu Solar is introducing a water-ballasted mount for ground mounted or flat roof PV systems at Intersolar. The company had previously specialized in floating PV installations.
The »Landblock« module support, available since April, follows a principle that has often been used, and not just for photovoltaics: A container can be filled with water or other materials such as sand through a hole and thus weighted down. The blocks, made of hard polyethylene (HDPE), are simply placed on the ground or flat roof, the modules are inserted into the holder and fixed with metal connectors. The HDPE contains anti-UV and anti-corrosion additives and is the same material Landatu Solar uses for its floating PV projects, which have a 25-year life on the water.
The dimensions are 465 by 1,235 by 480 millimeters. The tilt angle is 15 degrees. The two-piece design of the mount allows the halves to be stacked for transport to save space. The manufacturer specifies a space requirement here of one cubic meter for 40 units.
Unfilled, a land block weighs three kilograms, weighted down to around 60 kilograms, and is then suitable for wind speeds of up to 162 kilometers per hour. Additional safety for even higher wind loads is provided by optional anchoring with steel cables. The permissible temperature range is minus 30 to 100 degrees Celsius. Landatu Solar gives a product warranty of ten years. The price for end customers is € 34.99 ($ 38.34) net per unit. Dealers receive »very high discounts,« according to Alfredo Solano of Landatu Solar (Booth No. B5.170).
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