Create Energy subsidiary SOL Components secures patent for QuickGrip solar mounting rail

A Tennessee solar equipment company, Create Energy, has patented a new mounting system for large solar installations that use tracking systems (structures that tilt panels to follow the sun through the day). The part, called QuickGrip, is a rail that attaches solar panels to the tracker's tube. Its design lets brackets unfold on site without tools and lock into place with a single bolt, instead of the multiple bolts and hardware pieces usually needed. The rail also has built-in tabs that hold panels in position before they're fully fastened down.

This is not something a homeowner would install — it's aimed at utility-scale and commercial solar projects that use ground-mounted tracking systems, not the fixed rooftop panels typical of home solar. Create Energy says the design can cut installation time for trackers and related wiring components by up to half when paired with its own wiring system.

The practical upshit for homeowners is indirect: faster, cheaper installation methods for large solar farms can eventually help lower the cost of the electricity those farms sell to the grid, but this patent doesn't affect home solar equipment, rebates, or installation costs directly. The technology comes from SOL Components, a company Create Energy acquired in June 2026, which is now being folded into Create Energy's broader lineup of solar hardware for developers.