| Work Detail |
Located in Villanueva, San Pedro Sula, an industrial space with 10 warehouses. Developed by SEL, the solar division of the local Dicoma Corporation, it features JinkoSolar modules, Solis inverters, and S-5 direct mounting! A curved-roof photovoltaic installation, billed as the largest of its kind in Central America, has been deployed in the industrial park located in Villanueva, San Pedro Sula, near Puerto Cortés, Honduras main seaport. It is a set of panels totaling 2.46 MW, deployed on 27 curved, self-supporting, crimped metal roofs, each measuring approximately 52 meters by 16 meters, according to a statement. The industrial park covers more than 129,135 square meters of construction and another 109,625 square meters under development, with 10 warehouses serving the food, textile, and technology industries, among others. The project was developed by SEL, the solar division of the Costa Rican company Dicoma Corporation. According to its Energy Coordinator, Xavier Jara, “The new photovoltaic system, which uses JinkoSolar modules and Solis inverters, allows tenants to reduce their electricity costs while strengthening their commitment to sustainability thanks to the ecological footprint of solar energy, an attractive incentive for companies operating in free trade zones.” The industrial park is a free trade zone, offering companies a strategic location with incentives such as tax exemptions on imported and exported goods, as well as simplified bureaucratic processes. The direct-mount solar system utilized the S-5! PVKIT mounting solution. S-5!s International Business Director, Juan Carlos Fuentes, explained that the S-5! PVKIT solar mounting solution, along with the S-5-H Mini bracket, ideal for self-supporting curved roofs, was chosen over other alternatives due to its key advantages. “With only three components, the fastening system is 85% lighter than traditional rail systems,” Fuentes said. “Its lightweight, pre-assembled design met the weight restrictions of the decks, allowing for efficient transport and installation without overloading specific points, thus ensuring system safety and performance. This strategy also improved workflow efficiency by reducing installation time and minimizing the need for rework.” Challenges In addition to the curvature of the work surface, several challenges were faced. One of them was that these types of roofs have a self-supporting design and lack a lower support structure, Jara described. This required a thorough prior structural analysis to ensure the roofs could safely support the additional load of the photovoltaic system. Furthermore, without a support structure beneath the roof, the project had to adhere to strict weight limitations, so the use of rail systems was ruled out. No more than three workers were allowed on a single roof at the same time. These issues were addressed through pre-assembly and phased installation, considered key to distributing the weight evenly and avoiding overloading at specific points. Thus, the assembly solution provided the necessary separation between the module and the roof, which adapted to the curvature without perforating the ceiling. |
