Youngstown, OH, December 13, 2022– Solar FlexRack™ announced today that the 9 MW Zacapa Solar project, located in Guatemala, has won Solar Builder Magazine’s 2022 Editor’s Choice Award. This project utilized Solar FlexRack’s fixed-tilt mounting solutions and marks the company’s entrance into the Central American solar photovoltaic market. Developed by Kruger Energy, the Zacapa Solar project is the largest behind-the-meter distributed solar generation project in Guatemala. It will also provide more reliable and affordable power to a paper manufacturing business at a predetermined cost for the next thirty-five years.
“We’re thrilled that the editors of Solar Builder Magazine recognized the complexity of the Zacapa Solar project, and the ingenuity and experience required to overcome the terrain challenges associated with this undulating site,” said Sasha Honsl, Director of International Business Development at Solar FlexRack. “We look forward to providing our engineering expertise and proven products in additional solar projects throughout Central America to enable more businesses and residents to access affordable and reliable clean energy.”
From high heat to many rolling hills, some of which were greater than 15 percent, this project faced myriad challenges. Solar FlexRack's experienced in-house engineering team helped Zacapa Solar overcome the site's difficult topography with design support and a time-tested front and back driven pile system.
"Solar FlexRack’s engineering expertise was invaluable at each stage of this challenging project in Central America located on a complex site," said Jean Letourneau, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Kruger Energy. “They treated us like a true partner in completing this project and we look forward to partnering with them again."
Roughly 40 percent of Guatemala's electricity comes from fossil fuel-based generating plants. Electricity prices from the utility companies also substantially fluctuate, depending on the day. Stable electricity prices are critical to economic growth in Guatemala, particularly given the country’s large electricity price fluctuations, and its rate of inflation, which recently reached an 11-year high. Renewable energy projects such as the Zacapa Solar project help reduce dependence on expensive, polluting and less predictable sources of energy and provide greater financial and environmental sustainability long-term.
Solar Builder Magazine is a reliable source for the most up to date solar news throughout North America. Every year, the magazine receives nominations for outstanding solar projects. In 2022, the Solar Builder editorial staff reviewed a record number of nominations and selected the Zacapa Solar project to receive the Solar Builder Editor’s Choice Award. For more details about Solar Builder’s Editor’s Choice Awards, visit: https://projects.solarbuildermag.com/editors-choice/.
About Solar FlexRack
Solar FlexRack, a division of Northern States Metals, is an integrated solar company that offers custom-designed, fixed tilt ground mount and single-axis solar tracking systems in the commercial and utility-scale solar mounting industries. Solar FlexRack also offers full services, including engineering, geotechnical, pullout testing, field, and layout design services to address the actual site conditions of a project site. Solar FlexRack has completed over 3.6 GW of solar racking installations in more than 40 states across America, 9 provinces in Canada and five countries globally. For more information, go to solarflexrack.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Solar FlexRack Media Contact:
Staci Lombardo
slombardo@solarflexrack.com
330-799-1855