Array Technologies launches Atlas foundation platform for standard and difficult soil conditions

This is news about utility-scale solar equipment, not something that affects home solar installations. Array Technologies has released a new foundation system, called Atlas, for the large tracking structures used in solar farms. These trackers tilt solar panels to follow the sun, and they need to be anchored into the ground. The new system comes in two versions: one for normal soil and one for tough ground like bedrock, hardpan, or areas with high water tables.

The standard version uses driven metal piles with an adjustable connector piece that lets crews correct for uneven pile depth without cutting or pulling anything out of the ground. The heavy-duty version, meant for difficult soil, uses screw-in or helical piles instead of driven ones and cuts the number of structural parts needed by about 70 percent compared to the older design it replaces. Both versions use a shared connector piece that lets the same hardware work across different tilt angles, so crews do not need different parts for different site setups.

Both systems come with a 10-year structural warranty and are rated to last 25 to 40 years. This is aimed at solar farm developers and construction crews working on large commercial projects, not at homeowners installing rooftop panels, so it has no direct bearing on home solar or efficiency upgrades.