The updated Voyager module clamp for attaching First Solar modules builds off the Slide and Glide, using a fastener to secure and ground modules to the rail.
FTC Solar, a solar tracking equipment provider, announced a new Voyager clamping product that enables a quicker installation of First Solar Series 6 and Series 6 Plus solar modules, which accounts for the thin-film module technology.
The updated Voyager clamp series uses FTC’s patented Slide and Glide method as well as First Solar’s SpeedSlot mounting feature, creating a clamp that requires no traditional hardware. The Slide and Glide method uses a mechanical fastener to secure and ground the module frame to the clamp’s rail.
The company reports that the improved clamp enables the rapid installation of solar modules, suitable for ground-mounted applications such as utility and community solar development supporting framed mono, poly and bifacial modules in a double module portrait orientation.
The Voyager can be configured in a 1,500V string architecture of 4 strings per row and up to 30 modules per string, or 1,000V architecture with 6 strings per row and up to 20 modules per string.
The clamp has undergone rigorous wind tunnel testing by an independent engineering firm to assure structural and torsional stability in wind conditions up to 120 mph.
Founded in 2017, FTC Solar is based in Austin, Texas and provides its tracker systems around the world.
Q3 earnings recap
FTC Solar reported Q3 earnings results before the markets opened, posting lower revenue of $16.5 million, down from $52.9 million in Q3 21 based on lower U.S. demand in the utility solar market. This occurred as customers struggle to navigate the regulatory environment and get line of sight of module orders. Its lower financial results widened to negative $0.25 earnings per share compared to negative $0.24 per share in Q3 21, driven by lower volumes and partly offset by higher average selling prices for its products.
FTC Solar’s common shares traded at $1.93 before the market opened, down from $8.25 per share a year ago, while the company traded for a $196.4 million market capitalization.
