FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS

+ What is PV Booster?

PV Booster is a rooftop tracking system designed for flat rooftops to produce significantly more energy than traditional solar mounting solutions. PV Booster specifications are detailed on our datasheet here.

+ What is a tracker?

A tracker is a type of solar panel mount. Also called “racking” these pieces of mounting equipment are the structure that secures a solar panel in place. Tracking refers to a solar panel mounting strategy where the solar panel follows the sun throughout the day and significantly increases the energy output of that solar panel.

+ How does PV Booster track / what type of tracker is PV Booster?

PV Booster is a type of single-axis tracker called a tilted vertical-axis tracker that tracks solar azimuth which is the sun’s East to West position in the sky depending on time of day. This tracking geometry is unique to PV Booster and one of the keys to its significant performance results.

+ Do you offer a dual axis tracker?

Not at this time. We believe PV Booster finds the optimal balance between functionality and cost. Adding an additional axis is expected to have diminishing returns for the solar investor, similar to the rate single-axis trackers took to dominate the ground mounted market.

+ How is PV Booster controlled?

PV Booster rooftop trackers are controlled by an on-site computer called a Field Control Unit or FCU. This ensures that the tracking field will continue to track even if the building loses internet connectivity. The FCU can also be remotely controlled if desired, allowing you to monitor the health of the system and speed up O&M site visits, among a number of intelligent capabilities built into the system.

+ How is PV Booster powered?

PV Booster is currently energized using AC power from the electrical system in the building.

+ Can you install PV Booster on the ground / carports / sloped rooftops?

PV Booster is designed for flat commercial and industrial rooftops with slope of less than 7.5 degrees.

+ How much does PV Booster cost?

It depends how you buy. Our team will work with you to estimate your PV Booster project, starting with your address. Reach out to your account rep to start the evaluation.

+ How do I design a PV Booster project?

A good guideline for laying out a PV Booster project is to space each tracker 8’ on center. Remember PV Booster projects use as much as half of the number of solar panels as fixed racking projects which is a usually a GCR of about 40%. We created a Design Best Practices Guide to help you through the entire design process.

+ How do I engineer / permit a PV Booster project?

PV Booster is designed with the contractor in mind to fit right into your engineering and permitting process. We have put together a comprehensive Engineering & Permitting Guide including an example construction plan set created to help you understand the nuances of PV Booster and produce complete engineering documents ready for permitting and construction.

+ How do I model a PV Booster project’s performance?

The most accurate way to model PV Booster’s unique tracking geometry is a software program called PV Syst. We have put together a comprehensive Performance Modelling Guide using PV Syst design software to walk you through the steps required to create bulletproof performance predictions.

+ Is your performance based on real world results?

Yes, we have validated our Performance Modelling Guide with real-world weather-corrected data collected on actual operating solar projects. Our Performance Model Match Report explains exactly how we validated our Performance Modeling Guide.

+ How do I install PV Booster?

PV Booster is designed to bring your project the incredible benefits of rooftop tracking while fitting neatly into your installation process. Our comprehensive Installation Manual details all of the steps required to install a PV Booster system on your project rooftop.

+ How do you attach to the roof?

PV Booster is secured using our proprietary rooftop anchor which is a mechanical attachment. This rooftop anchor is included in your PV Booster order.

+ How many attachments do I need to install?

There is just one rooftop anchor mechanical attachment per solar panel installed.

+ How do we integrate to the roof and waterproof a Point Load system?

PV Booster roof anchors are integrated to the rooftop with two lag bolts (included) per our Installation Manual. The roof anchors can be sealed and waterproofed using a variety of roofing manufacturer approved roof sealant methods such as this one provided by Chem Link. We recommend working with the roofing manufacturer and a licensed roofing company to ensure these routine roof integrations are fully warrantied.

+ What if I do not want to put holes in my roof?

We get it, your roof is the most important part of your building, and you do not want to jeopardize the integrity of that valuable asset. The truth is that mechanical attachments exist on nearly every single rooftop on the planet. The key is to have a licensed professional install and warranty the roof work which is backed by the roof manufacturer. HVAC equipment, wires, drains, vents, skylights, fans, and access points are all mechanically attached to the building, sometimes even the roof material itself! When done properly, mechanical attachments are the safest, lightest, and best solution for securely adding equipment to your rooftop.

+ How much does a PV Booster system weigh on my rooftop?

PV Booster adds less than 2 lbs per sqft additional deadload to your building based on the weight of the system and the footprint of the equipment. More information is available on our data sheet here.

+ Do you offer a ballast design?

No, we do not offer a ballast option for PV Booster. Mechanical attachment is the best option for integrating to the rooftop safely for the lifetime of the system, without adding excessive additional weight to your rooftop.

+ How long does PV Booster take to install?

Less than 1 minute/sqft. PV Booster is designed to get you on and off the rooftop fast so you can build more projects. You should be able to complete the rooftop portion of your install at less than 1 minute/sqft. This is a general rule of thumb designed to help you ballpark installation time. Our Installation Manual details each of the steps required to install a PV Booster system which when you can use to run the numbers for your project.

+ How much does a PV Booster installation cost?

At an average labor budget of $60/hour, your installation should cost less than $1/sqft. Take the number of man hours from the exercise above times your labor rates to estimate your exact installation budget with confidence. This is a general rule of thumb designed to help you ballpark installation cost. Our Installation Manual details each of the steps required to install a PV Booster system which when you can use to run the numbers for your project.

+ What does Point Load Power supply with a PV Booster order?

Point Load Power supplies the PV Booster tracker and roof anchor, solar panel clamps, tracker control cable and connectors, site specific hardware, tracker distribution boxes, and field control units. Contractors need to supply additional balance of system components similar to any solar installation.

+ What does a contractor supply / what else do I need to purchase to build a PV Booster project?

Additional components vary based on system design but typically contractors will need to supply, lag bolts, roof seals, slip sheets in required, cables, connectors, conduit, conduit clamps, wire management, wire loom, ground wire, grounding lugs and screws (when needed), modules, optimizers, inverters, among many other possible additional equipment typical of solar installations.

+ What is O&M?

O&M stands for Operations & Maintenance which refers to the tasks required to keep a solar panel system operating at peak performance for the designed life of the solar panel system. Like any piece of equipment, having an O&M plan is key to ensuring return on investment. There are two components of an O&M plan: preventative maintenance and corrective maintenance. Preventative maintenance consists of solar energy production monitoring done remotely and visual inspections done on-site. These can be done annually, bi-annually, or quarterly depending on your O&M plan’s scope of work. Corrective maintenance is needed only if a solar component is not functioning as intended and your solar panel system experiences performance issues.

+ What are the Operations and Maintenance requirements for PV Booster?

PV Booster systems are easier to operate and maintain that fixed tilt systems. While fixed tilt panels are often crammed together, low to the ground, with few, if any, access points for inspection; PV Booster is up higher, spaced out, and easily accessible to visually inspect and repair when needed. In addition, there are usually much less solar panels on a PV Booster system meaning you are on and off the rooftop faster keeping your O&M budget low. Check out our O&M guide for more information.

+ What happens if one breaks?

If a PV Booster breaks, its fixed meaning if a tracker breaks it becomes a fixed rack. The solar panel still functions and performs like a solar panel mounted on fixed rack tilted at 30 degrees. Depending on the azimuth location, that single solar panel will continue to operate at a discounted performance. The intelligent Heliopoint software identifies which tracker is fixed out of the whole field making it unbelievably easy to return to motion during your normally scheduled O&M site visit. If something needs to be replaced, simply remove the solar panel, replace the self-contained actuator, and return the unit for repair at our cost. We will return the unit to your O&M provider’s spare parts ready to go. This makes O&M site visits lightning fast, intentional, and effective. Check out our O&M guide to learn more.

+ Who handles O&M?

Often the contractor, EPC, developer, or finance company is responsible for O&M. We can work with them to understand PV Booster best practices or we have a partnership with national O&M provider Bay4 to operate and maintain your PV Booster system if preferred.

+ How much does O&M cost?

O&M estimates are budgets vary depending on location, site, and scope of work. We estimated PV Booster maintenance budgets to be approximately $1.81/kW/yr additional. Check out our O&M guide to understand what is included and the frequency of that scope of work.

+ Is it easy to clean?

Yes. Because of how much space is between PV Booster trackers, there is improved cleaning access when compared to a fixed rack installation.

+ What is the RMA process?

Check out our O&M guide to learn about our RMA process.

+ Will annual O&M require more labor hours and cost than fixed tilt?

No, PV Booster O&M should be faster and easier to maintain than fixed tilt systems. Check out our O&M guide to understand what is included and the frequency of that scope of work.

+ Are tracking systems reliable?

Yes, tracking systems are extremely reliable which is why they make up more than 70% of utility scale installations. Our Reliability Guide provides more details about the aerospace level testing we’ve subjected PV Booster to.

+ What wind speeds are PV Booster rated to withstand?

110 mph. Check out our Engineering and Permitting Guide to learn more.

+ What is your warranty term?

Our warranty is a 5/10 warranty, 5 years for tracking and 10 years for racking. Contact us to learn more about our warranty.

+ Have you completed life cycle tests?

We have completed accelerated lifecycle testing in Pasadena and PV Booster made it the equivalent of 458 years before a wear out failure.

+ Is PV Booster certified?

Yes, PV Booster is certified by national testing laboratory, CSA to meet the strict requirements of UL3703 testing and FCC testing.

+ Have any third parties validated PV Booster’s performance?

Yes, Bay4 Engineering Services continues to test PV Booster at their facility at Tucson Electric Power in Arizona in addition to the rigorous CSA testing.

+ Is PV Booster available outside of the United States?

No, we do not currently ship PV Booster outside of the United States.

+ How long have you been in business?

PV Booster was created in 2016 by Bill Gross of Idealab.

+ How fast can I get a PV Booster tracker?

PV Booster is in high demand, standard lead time is 12 weeks.