Oscar Aira, Head of Solutions Sales, EMEA presented a story of success at IBER- REN World Hydrogen Iberia with the presentation, "Smart Tracking Solutions boosting extra power in Kenya". TrinaTracker played a Gold Sponsor role at the event that took place September 13-15 in Madrid.
Oscar Aira explained the whole process of installation and operation of the "Kesses" 55 MW PV plant, located in the remote town of Eldoret, in Kesses, Kenya.
He started by illustrating the physical peculiarities that TrinaTracker Pre-Sales team had to consider for the tailor-made proposal created to maximise energy production.
The offer included Vanguard 1P trackers, installation, integration of the proprietary artificial intelligence applications "SuperTrack" smart tracking algorithm and "Trina Smart Cloud" (SCADA), and the support of TrinaTracker's after-sales services.
Oscar Aira particularly engaged the audience when he described the project's challenges and the solutions that TrinaTracker carried out to overcome them.
For instance, after the Pull-Out-Test and Topographical and Geotechnical analysis, TrinaTracker concluded that W piles, direct ramming, pre-drilling, and concrete footing were the most optimal solutions for the terrain softness, caused by frequent rainfall.
A high risk for the plant installation was the lack of certified providers available in the area. However, during the four years that TrinaTracker worked in Kenya, the company built a reliable network of reliable providers, many of them hired to complete the Kesses project.
Moreover, there was no qualified labour at all. The population at Eldoret was made of farmers and ranchers who were very rotted in their local culture and had no internet access.
TrinaTraker team, with consolidated experience in Kenya, printed the available vacancies they needed to fill in and hung them on the local shops or trees at the main meeting points. Then, candidates were called to be at the town square, where interviews were done, and contracts signed.
Consequently, more than 120 people were trained, and approximately 100 new jobs were created.
The simulation of the energy generated with the integration of "SuperTrack" smart tracking algorithm proved an annual power increase of 1.32%. The extra energy was produced mainly as a result of the optimization tracking angles defined by the smart tracking algorithm during periods of highly diffused radiation.
On the other hand, energy losses would be minimised with the intelligent real-time monitoring and control functions included in "Trina Smart Cloud".
TrinaTracker fostered local autonomy and long-term employment by providing operations and maintenance training to the local people. After being trained, a group of locals would gain the skills required to ensure the plant's correct operation with the support of the company's after-sales services.
Aira ended the presentation with this firm and confident statement, "TrinaTracker smart tracker solutions are available in the market and, as we´ve just seen, they are proving day after day the difference they make maximizing energy production. Therefore, now, it is easier than ever to increase the profitability generated from solar photovoltaic projects."
