“Our systems are renowned for their ability to withstand extreme weather and have been proving it all across the Caribbean for years,” said CEO Florian Roos. “That track record is what ended up convincing the customer to work with us. When it comes down to it, that’s one of the main reasons why our market position in the region is as strong as it is.” SEMI’s "Coastal Solar" Project is located just a few hundred meters off the coast of San Pedro de Macoris, which is about 80 km east of the capital Santo Domingo. When the project is finished, it will feature 255,540 modules mounted on 5,370 racks.
Schletter will be supplying the ground-mounted FS Duo System needed to make it happen. The extra- robust dual pile system is made of high tensile steel and was designed to withstand winds of up to
257 km/h. That means it can stand up to the hurricanes and tropical cyclones that besiege the region on a regular basis. A very short installation time and large spans make the system particularly economical as well. Due to the extreme humidity and high chloride content in the marine atmosphere, Schletter works with a particularly resistant zinc coating for all steel components with corrosion class C4.
Concrete foundations instead of pile foundations
The local geology—heterogeneous soil interspersed with stones—presented a number of unique challenges. The solar park was designed with concrete foundations instead of conventional pile foundations, for example. Concrete foundations which employ what are known as “micropiles” are not only better suited for dissipating any tensile and shearing forces present into the ground (e.g. extreme winds). They also allow for more precise installation. Before the drillhole is filled with concrete, the posts are precisely positioned using GPS measurements and support bolting. This makes it possible for entire rows of PV units to be aligned with exact precision.
Also see: Dominican Republik: A picture-perfect solar park
Schletter Group has been active in the Dominican Republic since 2011. It has installed numerousground-mounted systems in the island nation with notable projects including Monte Plata, Monte Cristi, and Santanasol as well as the AERODOM airports. Schletter Group also supplied the largest PV tracking system in the Caribbean. It went online in 2023 in Cumayasa, producing 97 MW of clean power. (hcn)
