MITIGATING

EXTREME WEATHER RISK

PART 1: Understanding How Differentiated Design and Control
Strategies Unlock New Opportunities for Solar Development

By Alex Roedel and Kent Whitfield

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1

MITIGATING
EXTREME WEATHER RISK
PART 1: Understanding How Differentiated Design and Control
Strategies Unlock New Opportunities for Solar Development

By Alex Roedel and Kent Whitfield

According to data published by GCube1, a renewable energy insurance specialist, severe

weather events are the root cause of most solar insurance claims. While severe weather
is inevitable for some locations and increasingly common in others, weather-related
catastrophic solar project losses need not be. Project stakeholders can address site- and
region-specific risk profiles during project design via strategic product specification.

With the growth of the utility-scale solar market sector, Project siting is one of the most challenging issues
increasing numbers of projects are being fielded with facing project developers, owners, and insurers. Solar
an AC-generating capacity of 100 MW or greater. In project development activities require large areas
the U.S. alone, the Solar Energy Industries Association of land, on the order of 500 acres (200 hectares) of
currently estimates that there are some 47 GW of solar land per 100 MWac. Given the competitive business
in operation with another 115 GW under development environment, generally characterized by narrow
or construction. Given that large project development margins, affordable land valuations are critical to
activities are increasingly coincident with extreme project success. Ideally, these large and economical
weather, Nextracker has systematically addressed parcels of land are proximal to transmission lines
every major weather risk category—including hail, that can accommodate additional generation
flooding, snow, and extreme wind—via differentiated capacity. Locations that meet these criteria are further
design and control strategies in order to ensure the winnowed down according to the outcome of complex
long-term reliability of solar assets. and time-consuming utility interconnection studies.

FREQUENCY OF LOSSES
Snow More
Pressure
PV CLAIMS DATA According to Lloyd 14% Than 80%
Warwick International, an insurance Storm of Claims
loss adjusting specialist, weather-
Damages
9% Value
related damages—especially hail and Poor
Hail 2%
Workmanship
wind losses—account for more than 42%
80% of claims values. To the extent Theft 2%
that project stakeholders are able to Fire 2%
identify site- and region-specific risk Vandalism 3%
profiles in advance, they can mitigate Electrical
severe weather perils via strategic Over Voltage
26%
design, engineering, and procurement. Data courtesy Lloyd Warwick International

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 2

Given all of these constraints, it is not surprising that “If we learn over time that
some of the best locations for large utility-scale solar
certain technologies or control strategies
projects are undesirable or impractical for other
types of development activities. Increasingly, these perform better and carry less risk,
locations are coincident with increasing risk of severe we can price policies and premiums
weather events and include hail-prone regions, accordingly.”
floodplains, deserts, snow-prone areas, and high-
—Brian Tyluki,
wind areas. Here, we illustrate how single-axis trackers
SVP and Senior Underwriter, GCube
with differentiated design and control strategies
can mitigate extreme weather risks, allowing project
stakeholders to meet financial expectations with these May thunderstorms punctuated by large-diameter
unique and varied development opportunities. hail imperiled West Texas. Residents from El Paso
to Lubbock sent photos of golf ball- and baseball-
In Part 1 of this two-part white paper, we provide sized hail to local weather stations. Even in a region
actionable content that project developers, EPCs, and season known for severe weather, these spring
independent engineers, insurers, and financiers can thunderstorms were particularly intense.
use to mitigate or assess risks associated with hail,
flooding, snow, sand and soiling, and plant restoration One particular line of storms not only shattered car
and remediation. In Part 2, we explore dynamic wind windows in San Angelo but also swept across the
effects and explain why solar power plants that appear 1,500-acre Midway Solar farm. According to Insurance
similar on paper may have very different risk profiles Insider, losses associated with this weather event
in the real world. In the process, we expose the myth were on the order of $70M to $80M.2 Presumed to be
of commoditization by demonstrating the real-world 100% underwritten by GCube and backed by its 22
benefits of differentiated design and control strategies. capacity providers, Midway Solar losses were orders of
magnitude larger than GCube’s average claim size of
HAIL RISK MITIGATION $1M, based on roughly 500 claims per year.
In May 2019, the 182 MW Midway Solar generating
facility, located near Fort Stockton, Texas, experienced Several other utility-scale solar plants also incurred
one of the biggest losses to date in the renewable significant hail loss claims in 2019. Spurred on by these
energy insurance market. For a period of days, late- historic losses and a general increase in severe-

LIKELY EXTREME HAIL SIZE

OVER 50-YEAR INTERVAL

LARGE-DIAMETER HAIL RISK This map

plots probable maximum hail size for
the continental U.S. over a 50-year
interval. These results are based
on more than six decades of actual
hail strike data (1955–2018) and
determined statistically using extreme
value theory. Per these results, capital
assets with a viable operational and
financial lifetime exceeding 30 years— 0–1 inch
such as large utility solar farms—are
Diameter

1–2 inch
at risk of experiencing a greater than 2–3 inch
2-inch hail event in most locations 3–4 inch 50-Year (0.02) Return Size
east of the Continental Divide. 4–5 inch 1955–2018

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 3

weather events, carriers not only increased their rates, continuum of risk. However, some regions of the world
but also decreased exposure by capping individual are historically more hail-prone than others; these
policy coverage levels or reducing their underwriting areas include the central region of the continental
line size from 100% down to 20% or 40%. This is United States, southeastern South America, equatorial
standard operating procedure, notes Brian Tyluki, Africa, and the southern foothills of the Himalayas, as
senior vice president and senior underwriter at GCube. well areas in the Middle East and North Africa. Moreover,
“What insurers tend to do when we identify issues and giant hail events are increasing in frequency, severity,
trends,” explains Tyluki, “is to address those concerns and range due to global changes in weather patterns.
via pricing—high deductibles or increased premiums— In other words, the risk profile for hail is increasing.
and policy wording with regards to sublimits. If we Value-engineering may also change risk profiles,
learn over time that certain technologies or control insofar as PV glass and module frames are getting
strategies perform better and carry less risk, we can thinner as collector aperture areas are increasing.
price policies and premiums accordingly.”
In 2019, Nextracker began actively studying hail
Within the large utility-scale solar project ecosystem, impact damages—in partnership with Renewable
Nextracker is the only company to offer a complete Energy Test Center (RETC)—with the goal of
data-driven hail mitigation strategy. In addition identifying substantive ways to lower project risk
to having technologies and controls proven to for our downstream partners and other industry
significantly increase PV module survivability stakeholders. One of the first things we discovered
during hail events, Nextracker’s solution to hail risk is that all PV modules pass product certification
is backward compatible with previously fielded hail impact tests, which are based on the terminal
systems. Extensive testing to identify the optimal hail velocity of a 1-inch (25-milimeter) hailstone.
stow angle is at the core of our hail strategy, which While product qualification test standards may
takes advantage Nextracker’s ability to rotate an set a reasonable baseline for module hail-impact
entire solar farm into a defensive stow position in less tolerance, these minimum test requirements are
than one minute. insufficient to help industry stakeholders understand
the risk of hail damage in fielded projects. In
Most importantly, because we have a connected other words, industry-standard qualification test
platform, we are able to push software and firmware requirements are not rigorous enough to characterize
updates out into the field as needed to reduce risk perils in hail-prone regions.
or improve performance, providing for a future-
proof solution. This connectivity is what allows us to Therefore, we engaged RETC to conduct calibrated hail
implement advanced risk-mitigation strategies— cannon tests based on varying hailstone diameter,
via NX Navigator, a proprietary solar power plant impact velocity, and module-impact angle. Together
monitoring and control software platform—in both new with RETC, we designed these beyond-certification
and legacy systems. impact tests to not only characterize large-diameter
hail risks in large-scale solar farms but also to assess
Hail Testing Hail impact testing has long been a part the effectiveness of potential risk-mitigation strategies.
of PV module safety and reliability testing. Product
qualification standards developed and refined in the The first series of hail-resistance tests studied how
late 1970s, for example, feature a hail assessment stow angle and direction affect hail resilience. Does
test based on 11 impacts of a 1-inch (25-milimeter) facing into the wind or away from the wind provide
diameter ice ball at terminal velocity of 51.5 miles better hail resistance? What influence does stow angle
per hour (23 meters per second). While hail testing
3
have on hail damage? To augment these empirical
standards are little changed in 40 years, insurers are tests, RETC has also surveyed the hail literature to
well aware that severe weather risks have changed understand geographic risk. What is the correlation
over the past four decades—and not for the better. between location and the likelihood of large hail
strikes? What is the relationship between hailstone
Product safety standards are designed to achieve diameter and impact vector? To what extent is large
acceptably low probabilities of failure based on a hail coincident with high winds?

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 4

Based on an analysis of these test results, RETC “The NX Navigator hail-stow feature
determined PV modules are at risk of breakage when
can significantly increase the survivability
hailstones have a diameter in excess of 1.5 inches (3.5
centimeters) and are traveling at terminal velocity. of PV panels from 81.6% to 99.4%.”
On the one hand, these findings are cautionary. —RETC, Hail Resistance Testing
Statistically speaking, the probability of damaging and Analysis of Results
hail invariably increases with longer project lifetimes.
Moreover, project location significantly influences
the statistical probability of damaging hail. On hail-risk mitigation. As hail diameter increases, for
the other hand, we also identified strategies that example, hailstones generally have a more vertical
can significantly lower the risk of hail damage to vector. Moreover, historical wind station data indicates
PV modules, regardless of the baseline risk profile that wind speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour (18
determined by project location or lifetime. meters per second) are rarely coincident with module-
damaging hailstone diameters.
Specifically, RETC determined that 300% more kinetic
impact energy is required to shatter framed PV glass Hail-Stow Controls With NX Navigator, operators
in modules stowed at 60° versus a flat stow position. can remotely control the position of all Nextracker-
Based on the resulting increase in survivability, RETC’s mounted systems based on weather or other site-
independent engineering report concludes that specific conditions using a convenient single-button
stowing modules facing into the wind at 60° during a command for an entire PV power plant. Unlike AC-
hailstorm “can significantly increase the survivability of powered tracker systems, Nextracker’s single-axis
PV panels from 81.6% to 99.4%.” 4
trackers are entirely self-powered; as a result, there
are no AC power surges or peak-demand charges
Research and statistics regarding hail impact vector associated with moving all of the trackers in large
and wind speed probabilities further validate stowing solar farm in unison. In terms of these controls, our
modules facing into the wind at a 60° tilt angle for systems are always “getting smarter.” Since we

HAIL LOSSES Some of the strongest

markets for large utility-scale solar
projects are at elevated risk of large-
diameter hail exposure. For example,
the Midway Solar generating station
in Texas, shown here, experienced a
$70M to $80M hail-damage claim in
2019. NX Navigator’s hail stow feature
mitigates large-diameter hail risks
by facing trackers into the wind at a
60° tilt angle, which reduces impact
force on PV glass. Once hail stow is
initiated at the plant level, individual
NX Horizon single-axis trackers will
rotate to this 60° defensive stow in less
than a minute.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 5

have a connected platform, we routinely push new “As we identify novel opportunities
firmware out to the field over time. This allows us
to mitigate risk or improve performance,
to retroactively add functionality that was never
anticipated at the time of construction. Hail is a we are able to push new changes
perfect example. in control algorithms out to the field.”
— Arathi Gopinath,
Prior to 2018, few in the solar or insurance industries Director of Asset Performance Management,
considered hail to be a major weather risk on par Nextracker
with the risks associated with wind. That perception
changed due to a small number of projects “The beauty of software integration into hardware,”
experiencing very large losses. In response to this observes Arathi Gopinath, Nextracker’s director of
change in risk profile, Nextracker developed and asset performance management, “is that as we
implemented its protective 60° hail stow mode. learn from the field and identify novel opportunities
Because Nextracker uses software to control to mitigate risk or improve performance, we are able
connected systems, we can improve on these features to push new changes in control algorithms out to
over time. the field. These upgrades not only provide best-in-
class performance to new customers or new projects
D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), a market- but also to existing customers with fielded projects.
leading renewable energy asset owner and manager, In this regard, Nextracker systems are similar to a
has implemented these types of innovative project- smartphone or a Tesla EV.”
control strategies across its portfolio. “As an early
adopter of TrueCapture three years ago, we benefited “One thing that sets Nextracker apart is that it goes
from increased energy yield production, lower to great lengths to understand the large losses and
operating costs, and better availability,” says Bryan issues facing insurers,” says GCube’s Tyluki. “The
Martin, executive chairman of DESRI. “Nextracker keeps largest losses we are seeing are related to modules,
adding functionality designed to further optimize which are difficult for tracker manufacturers to
our projects. Earlier this year, we started using NX address. There may come a point in time when
Navigator’s snow shed capabilities at our northern technology ultimately dictates whether we can
sites to reduce losses attributed to snow cover. We are support a project and underwrite a risk. If a project in a
also implementing NX Navigator’s hail stow to help specific area does not have some proven technology,
protect our systems from extreme weather in hail- maybe we decline to offer coverage. We are not there
prone regions.” yet as we need time to review the data.”

NX NAVIGATOR
GRAPHICAL USER
INTERFACE (DETAIL)

HAIL STOW INITIATION Asset managers

and plant operators can use NX
Navigator to remotely trigger hail
stow, hurricane or typhoon stow, or
snow shed. Once a user-initiated
command is given, all trackers will
move to the specified defensive
position within one minute.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 6

FLOOD RISK MITIGATION “There may come a point in time
A key thing to understand when it comes to mitigating
when technology ultimately dictates
risk is that you cannot simply silo risk assumptions
into one category. During a storm or extreme weather whether we can support a project
event, there may be multiple coincident risks—such as and underwrite a risk.”
high wind, hail, and flooding. To address each of these —Brian Tyluki, SVP and Senior Underwriter, GCube
risks requires an intelligent and targeted response as
opposed to a one-response-fits-all strategy.
changing in light of increasing storm severity. In other
For hail-risk mitigation, for example, we want to send words, flood levels and frequency in the future may
the entire site to appropriate high-tilt stow angle and be higher than they are today. Moreover, floods can
direction. Flooding, meanwhile, only impacts specific occur in areas that are not traditionally associated
areas of a site and is best mitigated using a low-tilt stow with flood risk. Freeze-thaw cycles can lead to flooding,
angle. Nextracker is the only company with a platform as meltwater builds up behind intermittent ice dams.
that is both smart enough and flexible enough—in terms Plant construction activities can obstruct water runoff
of product design and control strategy—to effectively and lead to ponding and flooding. This dynamic and
address these types of coincident risks. changing risk landscape is of particular concern to
insurers and project owners, as submerged equipment
Flood-Resilient Architecture Successful utility-scale can lead to future failures.
solar farm developments require large areas of land,
but are sensitive to land costs. As a result, many projects The best way to adapt project designs to prevent
are built in floodplains or flood-prone areas that are not flood damage is to locate sensitive equipment as
suitable for other types of development. In this risk profile high above grade as possible. This is challenging
scenario, project designers must elevate electrical in linked-row tracker systems with driveshafts,
equipment and the lowest edge of the PV panels above open gears, controllers, and large electrical motors
the 100-year water surface elevation. In response to that must be located far enough below the torque
increasing weather severity and development activities, tube to provide clearance for module rotation. By
project owners and insurers are increasingly using the comparison, each balanced row in a Nextracker
200-year water surface elevation as the basis of design system is self-powered. The controller, motor, battery,
in flood-prone areas such as Texas. and solar charger that power and control each row
are mounted to the torque tube itself. This elevated
While flood-hazard maps are based upon the best design configuration provides a minimum of 3.3 feet
available information, flood risk is dynamic and (1 meter) of flood clearance.

HIGH AND DRY Though not located

in a floodplain, this project in Idaho
experienced extreme site water
during a freeze-thaw event. This
ad hoc kayaking lake formed when
unseasonably warm weather caused
heavy snow to quickly melt. Since
the ground was still frozen, water
ponded behind ice dams in low areas
of the site. Due to the elevated height
of the electrical and mechanical
components, the system continued
to operate and experienced no
flood damage. Note that trackers in
unflooded areas of the site continue
normal operation during defensive
flood stow.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 7

NEXTRACKER’S EXTREME WEATHER STOW AND LOAD SHED MODES
Hurricane Stow Hail Stow Wind Stow Snow Shed Flood Stow

Priority Order 1 2 3 4 5
Moves all trackers Moves all trackers Moves trackers to Moves all trackers Selectively moves
to maximum tilt to maximum tilt a defensive stow to maximum tilt trackers in flood
angle facing east angle facing east or position, based on angle to dump snow; zones to 0° tilt (flat)
Action
or west (per user) west (per user) to site configuration, normal tracking angle for maximum
for maximum wind minimize hail impact facing into the wind resumes after snow ground clearance
protection force shed
By user By user By user
By weather station By weather station
Initiated (with optional (with optional (with optional
sensor sensor
weather alert) weather alert) weather alert)
By weather station By weather station
Cleared By user By user Automatic
sensor sensor

RISK PRIORITIZATION Nextracker prioritizes its NX Navigator software-controlled responses to extreme weather according to
severity of risk. This intelligent and targeted control strategy is ideal for addressing coincident risks. Moreover, the platform’s
connectivity allows Nextracker to push new features into the field, improving performance and safety over time.

In addition to locating key control and drive The data from these flood sensors is used to actively
components well above grade, Nextracker uses control the tracker angle to provide additional flood
control boxes, bearings, and slew gears that are clearance. Via programming, we can set the flood-
sealed against water and sand. These product design stow threshold to a specific water depth—such as 1
features are inherently flood-resistant. Moreover, the foot (0.3 meters) or 2 feet (0.6 meters)—as directed
system is resilient against power outages because by the owner or EPC. The ability to intelligently
the self-contained and self-powered decentralized move modules to a flood-stow position in drainage
architecture requires no grid power to the rows. areas allows plant designers to reduce pile height,
above and below grade. This targeted response
Flood-Stow Controls A smart tracker control system to sheet flooding allows project stakeholders to
is what allows Nextracker to take full advantage of its simultaneously mitigate risks and drive down
flood-resilient tracker architecture. Generally speaking, system costs.
flooding impacts only specific areas of a site. By
combining a decentralized tracker with intelligent The ability to independently control the individual
controls, we are able to target flood-mitigation efforts tracker rows also has meaningful production
specifically to those flood-prone areas. benefits. If flooding occurs after a storm has
passed—which is not uncommon when rainfall is
Targeted flood risk mitigation starts with a review of greatest upstream in a watershed—the system as
a site’s hydrology study to identify low-lying areas a whole can track normally while only the trackers
that are at risk of flooding. We can then mitigate in the flood zone are stowed. Since the system
flood risk by deploying strategically placed ultrasonic measures flood water depth at multiple locations in
water-level sensors. For redundancy, best practice real time, the controller can return a plant to normal
is to use multiple flood sensors. However, there is no operation as soon as flood waters subside. All of
need to install flood sensors at every low-lying site these operations either happen automatically or can
location. Since the power blocks communicate with be triggered remotely, meaning there is no need to
one another, a representative set of sensors can dispatch resources to the site to initiate flood stow or
characterize flood water depth across an entire site. restore normal plant operations.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 8

SNOW RISK MITIGATION “Earlier this year, we started using
Nextracker’s ability to push control algorithm changes
NX Navigator’s snow shed capabilities
and enhanced features out to the field has also
improved the platform’s snow resilience over time. As a at our northern sites to reduce losses
safety feature, Nextracker systems have long benefited attributed to snow cover.”
from an automated snow stow mode that prevents snow
— Bryan Martin, Executive Chairman, DESRI
accumulation on the array tables. This self-powered
snow stow functionality limits maximum snow loads and
provides snow load protection. While effective as a safety modules, the tracker will return to normal operation.
feature—Nextracker has not experienced snow-related These snow-shed capabilities not only minimize snow
failures—snow soiling losses are a tradeoff associated loads but also increase energy yield.
with an automated snow stow mode.
Nextracker is also able to eliminate or mitigate
With the release of the NX Navigator monitoring damage to solar panels and other equipment
system and our energy-enhancing TrueCapture associated with snow buildup on the ground. We do
software, plant operators have the ability to this in part by monitoring and analyzing motor current
intelligently mitigate snow loads while optimizing on every individual tracker. Nextracker controllers
system production. Many people think of TrueCapture apply only the precise amount of current required to
as a software that optimizes production and revenue. move the motor. Since we are constantly monitoring
While that is true, it is also a very powerful operations our connected fleet, we have digital signatures for
and maintenance (O&M) platform. Effectively, it is a many probable tracker failure modes.
closed-loop system that notifies stakeholders at the
exact moment that a row—anywhere in a plant or a During a snow event, therefore, the data monitoring
portfolio—is no longer operating properly. and control system knows exactly which rows are
working properly and which rows are operating with
As part of the process of optimizing plant performance more difficulty. We know this in real time based on a
in real time via machine-learning and data analytics, digital twin analysis. In much the same way as safety
software is able to determine instantaneous features built into a garage-door opener ensure that a
performance losses due to snow. If the snow losses garage door reverses direction when it senses resistance
become significant, the system will initiate a snow associated with an obstruction, we are able to ensure
shedding command that rotates the tracker tables. that trackers are not damaged by rotating forcibly into
After dumping the snow and clearing the front of the snow drifts or piles of snow shed off of the tracker tables.

SNOW SHED The ability to intelligently

shed snow not only increases system
production by reducing snow cover,
but also mitigates against damage
resulting from snow loads. Authorized
operators can shed snow on demand
or preschedule up to two daily snow
shed operations.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 9

SAND AND SOILING MITIGATION
Self-powered, decentralized trackers have an inherent
advantage over linked-row trackers when it comes
to routine O&M activities such as panel cleaning and
vegetation management. This advantage is largely
due to the fact that maintenance vehicles are able
to drive unimpeded between rows without needing
to back up or turn around when reaching a driveline.
Moreover, adjacent rows of modules can be turned
face-to-face, expediting semi-automated truck-
based module cleaning operations.

In some locations around the world where array soiling

is a concern, annual or seasonal cleaning activities
are adequate to remediate soling losses and meet
plant performance requirements. Other locations—
ROBOTIC CLEANING SYSTEMS Nextracker has qualified four
including the Middle East, North Africa, India, and parts
waterless automated cleaning systems for use with its
of Latin America—experience extreme soiling and
single-axis trackers. These robotic systems can be used in
cementation, a process whereby dust particles stick regions that experience dust storms—such as the Middle
to one another and cement themselves to the surface East and Latin America—to mitigate the performance risks
of the glass. In parts of India and China, for example, associated with extreme soiling and dust accumulations.
soiling rates can reach 1% to 2% per day.5 Soiling rates
are even greater during sandstorms.
All four solutions are specifically engineered for
Not surprisingly, water is often in short supply in compatibility with tracker-specific design features.
regions where the daily soiling rates are most extreme. Moreover, we have ensured that the technical
In arid regions that require ongoing soil mitigation specifications for each of these solutions meet or
efforts, fully autonomous waterless cleaning machines exceed applicable codes, standards, engineering, and
are often a preferred solution for maintaining plant component-quality requirements.
performance. These robotic cleaning systems employ
dry cleaning methods that are effective at removing For optimal robotic cleaning activities, Nextracker-
dust. They require minimal on-site labor and are mounted systems can be designed in an end-to-end
designed for high-frequency operation with minimal configuration. By enabling the robot to move from
downtime. Communications-enabled cleaning robots table to table, it is possible to take full advantage
can even integrate with a plant’s SCADA system for of the maximum per charge cleaning distance,
monitoring and control. which is typically 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) or more.
Nextracker manufactures the ancillary mechanical
Since 2017, Nextracker has been working with robotic components—such as row-to-row connecting
cleaning system manufacturers to develop specialized bridges, and end-of-row docking and reversing
solutions compatible with our 1P NX Horizon and 2P NX stations—and offers these directly to its customers as
Gemini single-axis tracker applications. To ensure that optional accessories.
long-term module reliability is not compromised, we
developed detailed robot qualification criterion. A well- Since dust is also a concern for mechanical and
designed system, for example, must avoid excessive electrical components, Nextracker uses sealed
point loading and module deflection that could lead to products and dust-tight enclosures to prevent dust
cell microcracking. egress. Moreover, these components are located at
least 3.3 feet (1 meter) above grade. This additional
To date, Nextracker has qualified four robotic cleaning ground clearance reduces exposure to wind-blown
systems, based on extensive testing and evaluation, sand and dust and provides relief against radiant
for use with our portfolio of smart tracker products. heat effects.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 10

RESTORATION AND REMEDIATION “Because we are able to communicate
As climate change increases storm frequency and
with every tracker, we know the location
intensity, owners, insurers, and other stakeholders
need to take steps to minimize downtime and revenue of any issues as well as the probable
losses after extreme weather events. Nextracker’s failure mode and remedy.”
systems have survived hundreds of hurricanes. In — Arathi Gopinath,
addition to a proven record of in-field durability, Director of Asset Performance Management,
our systems require minimal site grading, reducing Nextracker
erosion potential.
performance that are invaluable to plant restoration
In the wake of a damaging extreme weather event, and remediation operations. We can tell customers
independent smart trackers have a significant what the current signature looked like when a tracker
advantage over monolithic systems that lack was newly commissioned, what it looked like five
connectivity. When disaster strikes, replacing weeks ago, and what it looks like after a storm. Based
damaged parts has little impact on project rate of on the nature of that current signature and how it has
return, whereas loss of energy production has a large changed over time, we can tell if a damper slipped
impact on financial performance. Maintaining plant suddenly or if a foundation is slowly subsiding and
availability is therefore critical to minimizing losses. causing the torque tube to bind.

Nextracker products are connected devices backed Since Nextracker knows the operating status of
by powerful analytics. No other tracker system every single tracker row, information provided by
provides plant operators with so much actionable, our monitoring and control systems can eliminate
granular information about plant status. We collect days and weeks of damage-assessment activities.
13 data points every five minutes for every network- The control system can alert asset managers to the
connected tracker row. precise location of storm-related failures. It can even
flag trackers that appear to be operating normally
By constantly assessing information and patterns for corrective or preventative maintenance based on
within that data, we gain detailed insights into plant characteristic current signatures.
Courtesy Solar Support

STORM RECOVERY In the wake

of extreme weather, production
and revenue losses can exceed
replacement part costs. Nextracker’s
data monitoring system allows plant
operators and asset managers to
assess tracker heath and performance
on a row-by-row basis. This granular
O&M information expedites power
plant restoration and remediation
activities.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 11

“Predictive analytics has a big role to play in getting “One thing that sets Nextracker apart
customers to 100% uptime,” says Gopinath. “We can
is that it goes to great lengths to
use predictive analytics to identify impending failures
and bring these to the attention of asset managers or
understand the large losses and issues
O&M providers. Because we are able to communicate facing insurers.”
with every tracker, we know the location of any issues —Brian Tyluki,
as well as the probable failure mode and remedy. This SVP and Senior Underwriter, GCube
information can then inform maintenance activities,
which is important for optimizing energy capture and
mitigating extreme weather risk.”

COME RAIN OR SHINE such as hurricanes and floods—but also include

For insurers, locational risk factors into every peril wildfires and extreme hail. In addition to belonging to a
analysis and policy. Location-specific natural poor-performing insurance market sector, solar carries
catastrophe coverages account for the relatively relatively more uncertainty in terms of risk assessment.
higher risk of earthquakes in California or hurricanes Solar projects are constantly growing in size and being
in Florida. These policy responses to site- or region- developed in new regions or in parts of the country
specific risk profiles are premised on the ready where you would never find a traditional plant. It is very
availability of historical loss data, which enables the difficult to characterize risk for locations—such as flood
insurance industry to assess locational risks and plains—where there is no history of development.”
price or qualify coverage accordingly. This type of
information is less available for relatively new asset When an airplane goes down, data stored on the flight
classes that are fielded in underdeveloped locations. recorder—the so-called “black box”—provides a record
from which accident investigators can learn. The final
“Solar is somewhat unique from a risk assessment report, published upon completion of the investigation,
perspective,” says GCube’s Tyluki. “Relative to other provides a public record of the event complete with
types of power generation, solar is a fast-growing, safety recommendations. The transparency and
emerging asset class based on newer technology. By dialogue associated with this process ultimately
comparison, traditional power generation facilities benefit all stakeholder groups.
are subjected to considerably more due diligence,
have larger operating budgets and a more mature Solar project failures are a different sort of black box.
supply chain, and are more easily characterized When solar farms are brought down by premature
using historic data.” product failures or catastrophic weather losses, the
root causes are often hidden behind NDAs due to
As a nascent subsector within the power and energy concerns about intellectual property or reputation.
sector, large utility-scale solar projects are every bit Extensive due diligence is the best way to overcome
as challenging for insurers as they are for project this opacity and lack of transparency.
developers and owners. For an accurate statistical
evaluation, insurers require access to large amounts Cherif Kedir, president and CEO of RETC, points out
of operational and loss history data for asset risk that, “Some regions of the continental United States
assessment and pricing. Compared to other large currently experiencing the most growth in solar
capital investments in power and energy, loss history development—such as Texas, Florida, Georgia, and
data is generally insufficient—based on the limited the Midwest—are notorious for hurricanes, strong
length of time in the field—for insurers to confidently thunderstorms, hailstorms, or tornados. As more utility-
assess solar project risk. scale solar projects are deployed in these emerging
markets, new project sites are at higher risk. This is
“Power generation in North America has been a poor- why it is important to design and install solar projects
performing market sector,” says Tyluki. “This is largely using products that mitigate the risks associated with
due to the impacts of catastrophic events, which are not only high winds but also the hail and flooding that
not limited to traditional natural disaster categories— often accompany extreme weather events.”

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Risk Versus Reward While fielding increasing numbers In this context, there is no greater project risk than
of ever-larger solar projects across challenging the indiscriminate belief in one-size-fits-all solutions,
locations is not without risk, those industry stakeholders which stems in part from the flawed notion that
who successfully mitigate site-specific extreme increasing project and market scale invariably leads
weather risks via strategic product specification stand to commoditization. Reliable in-field operation over
to reap great rewards. For many of the locations a 25- to 40-year service life is not a coincidence. In
around the world where large utility-scale solar project Part 2 of Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, we illustrate
development activities are now taking place, climate the extent to which—and explain why—solar power
and weather risks are not only a fact of life but also are plants that appear similar on paper can present very
intensifying over time. different risk profiles in the real world.

In Part 1 of this two-part white paper, we have demonstrated how intelligently controlled
independent-row single-axis trackers can mitigate site-specific risks associated with a
variety of severe weather categories. In Part 2, we will demonstrate how differentiated
design and control strategies can mitigate risks associated with high-wind conditions
and dynamic-wind effects, which are a leading cause of PV power plant production
losses and damage claims.

PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION Nextracker’s patented smart panel sensors provide real-time shading information for each
tracker row. This data feeds into TrueCapture, an intelligent monitoring and model-based predictive control software that
allows Nextracker customers to maximize system performance benefits. These same smart monitoring and granular control
strategies also mitigate performance risks associated with climate and weather, such as optimizing plant production during
smoky conditions.

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 13

About the Authors

Alex Roedel is the Senior Director of Design and Engineering Kent Whitfield oversees global quality and durability as
at Nextracker. With over 15 years in the solar industry leading Nextracker’s Vice President for Quality. For 30 years, the
design and engineering for Fortune 1000 companies such as arc of Kent’s work has focused on a range of PV activities
SunPower and SPG Solar, Alex is responsible for the design from testing, analysis, and certification through product
and engineering of over 40 GWs of installed projects. He leads manufacturing, system design, and deployment. In previous
a global team of design engineers and is the company’s roles, he was the Research and Development Manager
customer-facing technical lead with developers and EPCs and Principal Engineer for Renewable Energy Technologies
worldwide. Alex earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and held Senior Director
from the University of California, Santa Barbara. roles in Engineering, Reliability, and Quality for Beamreach,
SunEdison, Solaria, and MiaSole. He has established two ISO/
IEC-accredited testing and certification laboratories and
represents the U.S. for IEC standard development for PV
products and is on the Industry Advisory Board of the Durable
Module Materials Consortium (DuraMAT).

References
1. GCube Renewable Energy Insurance, “Cell Interrupted: 4. RETC Project, “Hail Resistance Testing and Analysis of
Balancing Risk and Reward in Solar PV,” GCube report Results: Evaluation of Nextracker Hail Stow,” Renewable Energy
(2016). Testing Center (2020). [Report available to Nextracker clients
under NDA.]
2. Anna Sagar, “Texas Hailstorm Set to Generate $70mn–
$80mn Solar Loss,” Insurance Insider (October 2019). 5. Benjamin Figgis, et al., “PV Soiling in Dry Climates: Causes,
Impacts and Solutions,” PV Tech Power (November 2019).
3. IEC 61215-2, “Terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules - Design
qualification and type approval - Part 2: Test procedures,”
International Electrotechnical Commission (2016).

White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 14

Nextracker, a Flex company, is a leader in the energy transition, providing critical yield enhancing PV system technology,
expertise and strategic services to capture the full value and maximize the efficiency of solar plants. Delivering
the most comprehensive portfolio of intelligent solar tracker and control software solutions for solar power plants,
Nextracker is transforming PV plant performance with smart technology, data monitoring and analysis services.

www.Nextracker.com
White Paper: Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk, Part 1 © Nextracker Inc. 2020 Published November 2020