Review & Outlook
How was the Genera 2024 fair for the ZIMMERMANN PV-Steel Group?
It was a must for us to be there and discuss the latest developments in Spain with our customers and partners.
You can find a short summary here:
Project development: Grid connections
New momentum has emerged through the Royal Decree -Law 8/2023 of December 27 on access and connection to the grid. Clients adapt to the changed prerequisites for implementation of utility scale PV projects, where the deadline to comply with accreditation of receiving the administrative exploitation authorisation is extended to a maximum of 8 years from administrative construction authorization. We provide support with design-reviews and supply-chain optimizations of the corresponding projects of our clients.
Solutions: Trackers on undulating terrain
If we look into the greenfield development pipelines of the market players in the Iberica region, we see a significant increase in planning on undulating terrain. Obviously the suppliers of 1P-Tracker solutions follow that demand by developing new cost-efficient solutions and integrating new product features. E.g. with ZIM Track’s cardan joint integration, terrain slope changes of up to 8.5 degree (15%) between two tracker sections can be compensated. At Genera 2024 we noticed also a very high level of interest in Zimmermann’s ZIMply Terrain Track, which boosts energy output by integration a complete 3D-model of the PV plant site for avoiding row-to-row shadowing.
Innovation: Engineering for Floating PV
The development of utility-scale Floating PV plants is progressing in small steps in the Iberian market. However, it was again apparent that the regional focus is more on Portugal. At the moment there is a particularly high demand for engineering expertise for the development and realisation of cost-efficient high-quality Floating PV. What does this mean in concrete terms for suppliers and engineering providers? One of the main focuses for development is the area of anchoring and mooring design. Bathymetry characteristics and geological preconditions of the water bodies vary very widely and ask for customized technical design solutions. We are utilising our learning curve from the more advanced PV-Floating markets in the Netherlands, France and Germany and look and we look forward to continuing to accompany the Iberian market development.
