SBIR-STTR Award

Quest Renewables is developing a standalone solar racking system that can be placed in areas with a high-risk of natural disaster (ie: high wind, hurricane, heavy snow, hail, and earthquake) to provide steady electricity during and after natural disasters without the support of the grid. This technology will maximize operability, maximize energy availability, and minimize restoration time (and costs) during and after natural disaster events. Our racking solution is a standalone resilient system that can withstand up to 180 mph wind and 50 pounds per square feet (psf) of snow and remain intact during and directly preceding a hurricane or other extreme weather event. A report from the Executive Office of the President estimated that over the period of 9 years (2003-2012), power outages caused by severe weather cost the US economy between $18- 33 billion annually (adjusted for inflation). Monetary and tangible asset losses are not the only things affected by hurricanes. Lack of electricity can cause health and educational degeneration. However, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates needing $673 billion to upgrade the US grid to withstand future natural disasters: this is not feasible for the near future. Quest will provide a resilient solar system which will mitigate risks and losses due to disconnection from electricity during and after natural disasters. At Quest Renewables we are preparing for a future world where natural disasters are prevalent and regularly occurring. Our racking solution will be able to withstand these events in the future because of our consideration and dedication today. We are putting climate change in perspective by designing systems, developing new technology, and deploying products which will take into consideration the future state of our planet. Our product will be a part of city, community, state, and nationwide disaster preparedness plans which will allow their constituents access to electricity during and after natural disasters when the grid is not an option. As result, Quest has three core technical objectives for Phase 1 of this DOE SBIR Grant that focus on structure integrity, solar panel resilience, and foundation robustness: 1) Confirm structural integrity of the system at wind speeds up to180 mph. 2) Develop universal panel frame to rack connection typology for 180 mph windspeeds. 3) Appropriately design and size foundations to perform under 180 mph winds, in soils that are subject to erosion from extreme rainfall events. We will use Phase 1 to design, develop, build, and test a working system. After Phase 1, we will have a prototype of our product which will be ready for a test market.

Recent Category 4 hurricanes in the US, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean led to a 43% catastrophic failure rate of solar arrays. Fewer than 20% of solar arrays hit by a category 5 hurricane are expected to be even partially operational after such a storm. Our company is leveraging its expertise in solar racking to develop a resilient and cost-efficient solar racking system that can withstand a direct hit from a category 5 hurricane and remain operational. This system will allow critical grid infrastructure to produce power directly after a hurricane’s passing, preventing loss of life and accelerating economic recovery post-disaster. In Phase I, our company leveraged its expertise in failure mode analysis to make a Proof-of- Concept that addresses more than 20 failure modes related to solar racking. By the end of Phase II, our company will have a fully-certified, bankable product that will be sold globally in high-risk areas. Findings related to this project will also have trickle-down results that will improve the resilience of all systems, whether exposed to wind, snow or seismic forces. Phase I focused on failure modes relating to environmental factors, equipment and material factors, and system design factors. The completed prototype successfully addresses 22 identified failure modes related to the above factors. Industry-leading research was conducted on wind speed, direction, and turbulence as well as foundation design to ensure that systems retain their designed strength for more than 25 years. Phase II focuses on four objectives listed below, with the ultimate objective of producing industry-ready resilient solar structures: Implement insights from Phase I. Conduct final testing and selection of components. Validate the system in a thorough a bankability study.Pilot our first system. The commercial benefits of such a system are predicted to generate $106 million in Federal Tax Revenue over the next ten years. In addition to the tax benefit, a more resilient grid will significantly reduce the cost of post-disaster recovery for local municipalities.