Valuable Lessons in Co-existence Between Nature and Solar

The solar project that almost didn’t happen is now powering approximately 3,500 homes. AltEnergyMag.com has featured Solar FlexRack and the Pahrump, Nevada 17.5MW solar electric power plant on their website detailing how this 80-acre site is living in harmony with nature. 

In the article, Protecting an Endangered Species and a Solar Energy Project, details the challenges the team faced to protect an endangered species, Gopherus agassizii, or the Desert Tortoise on the site. Some valuable lessons in co-existence can be gained.

A number of unique adaptations were incorporated into the solar project plan. For example, it was important to keep the ground surface intact and not destroy the indigenous vegetation due to the presence of the Desert Tortoise. Typically, the ground surface of a solar site would be graded and leveled. In this case, the project plan called for an adjustable solar racking solution that could be installed on uneven, sloped terrain. Solar FlexRack’s G3-X fixed tilt racking system is an intelligent design which allowed horizontal rails to be set in place with no hardware during initial placement. The rack can easily be adjusted in the field to accommodate increased ground clearance and slope, a smart and cost-effective solution backed by one oft he best services and support teams in the industry. 

Download the pdf here, or read the entire article here.