As Australia faces increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather patterns, Trinasolar, a global leader in smart PV and energy storage solutions, has launched a first- to-market solution that helps solar developers protect their assets and safeguard performance — no matter what the forecast holds.
Unveiled at this year’s Smart Energy Conference in Sydney, held from 9-10 April, the Shield Extreme Climate Solution delivers next-generation protection for utility-scale PV plants, offering a powerful combination of high-strength structural modules and intelligent weather-responsive tracking.
This innovative development was specifically designed and tested for the Australian market. The solution was tested in Queensland, Australia.
Technical specifications include:
The Shield Extreme Climate Module’s (NED19RC.20) glass is 25% thicker than that of conventional modules and its resistance to energy impact 2.5 times greater. The innovative frame design increases the module’s load-bearing capacity, thereby further improving stability and reliability. In severe hailstorms, the Shield solution can withstand 55mm hail at 0° and 75mm at 60°. The short-term severe hail climate forecast automatically issues commands for the tracker to adopt a protective angle.
Equipped with self-developed Tracker Control unit (TCU) and Network Control Unit (NCU,) the TrinaTracker smart control system is integrated with a variety of extreme climate protection strategies. Harnessing real-time monitoring data from the smart cloud platform, the system can implement intelligent protective measures for PV power plants, thereby ensuring safe and stable operation of the system. In a setting in which tracking mounting is used, the smart cloud platform monitors real time wind speed, automatically adjusting to the stow position when certain wind speeds are detected. A tiered stow strategy assigns different protection angles based on wind speed levels, balancing risk mitigation with maximised power generation. The structure includes an innovative module design that increases mechanical load capacity to +3600/-3000Pa.
In heavy snow, the Shield solution withstands 2.2m of uneven snow load in a fixed mounting system installation setting. In a tracking mounting installation setting, the TrinaTracker smart cloud platform provides real-time monitoring of snow thickness. O&M personnel can initiate snow removal with just one click, effectively mitigating the potential threats of snow load to the modules and mounting systems. This not only improves the efficiency of O&M operations but also prevents power generation losses caused by snow accumulation, thereby ensuring the system’s stable operation.
In strong winds, the Shield solution withstands wind pressure up to +8000Pa/-6000Pa in a fixed mounting system installation setting, thanks to innovative dual fastening and triple- beam installation design.
The Shield solution safeguards PV assets while significantly lowering BOS cost and LCOE, maximising project returns. Based on the Queensland testbed, the solution set-up achieved an overall customer value increase by the equivalent of 0.0364 AUD $/W and reduction of LCOE by 2.84%. With the high efficiency, high power, excellent low light performance, high reliability and high bi-faciality of Trinasolar’s i-TOPCon Ultra, power plants generate more electricity, especially during early mornings, late evenings and overcast days. In addition, TrinaTracker SuperTrack intelligent algorithm leverages AI, big data and self-developed algorithms to enhance power generation efficiency.
Besides its state-of-the-art modules, Trinasolar also recently launched the Elementa 2 Pro 5MWh battery energy storage solution for the Australian market. The Elementa 2 Pro builds on the success of Elementa 2, offering even greater efficiency, flexibility, and safety. The Elementa 2 Pro features Trina’s self-developed 314Ah high-performance Trina Cell, supporting 15,000 cycles (up from 12,000 cycles offered in Elementa 2) to significantly extend system lifespan and reduce lifecycle costs, ensuring a higher return on investment for users. It offers enhanced advanced cooling technology, incorporating an intelligent hybrid air-liquid cooling system.
As the only provider in the industry offering an integrated suite of solar solutions, modules, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and trackers, Trinasolar is uniquely positioned to deliver a complete, high-performance energy ecosystem. Trinasolar empowers developers to build more resilient, efficient, and future-ready solar projects, ensuring stable and reliable energy generation in Australia’s challenging weather climate.
