Swiss startup Turn2Sun has developed a solar installation structure with wind turbine blades. It has installed a structure at an altitude of 2,500 meters in the Grisons region of Switzerland with 16 bifacial 430 W solar modules.
“The number of modules to be installed on one blade depends on several parameters, such as blade length, lateral reinforcement and local weather conditions, especially wind and snow,” said Noé Tallon, Planair’s project manager. pv magazine.
The company installed the prototype at an altitude of 2,500 meters in the Grisons region of Switzerland. It has nine bifacial 430 W solar modules on one stage and seven panels on the other, arranged in three rows in a horizontal position.
“There are no lateral reinforcements because the pilot just uses standard commercially available PV mounting rails,” Tallon said. “Subsequent iterations of the prototype will use reinforcements to achieve a wider span, thereby increasing the number of parallel modules on a single blade.”
The wind turbine blades of the pilot installation are 8.4 meters long and weigh 420 kg each. They are installed on a 5 meter high support structure. Tallon said that Turn2Sun aims to install the solar mounting structure as close as possible to the renewable wind farm to minimize transportation costs and the overall carbon footprint.
“The main cost advantage of this solution is the use of used wind turbine blades, which have negligible or even negative raw costs, making it very competitive compared to heavy metal structures, which are usually used in tall solar installations and represent a significant part of global energy costs,” Tallon argued.
The company said it is developing partnerships with several global players to offer the Blade2Sun solution in countries other than Switzerland. Applications reportedly include parking lots, water tanks, agricultural electrical equipment and roadside systems.
Photo: Turn2Sun
