Solar FlexRacks Selected for 1 MW Chattanooga Airport Project

Construction was completed in December 2011 on a 1 MW solar farm located in the southwest corner of the airfield at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee. The project, developed by the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority (CMAA), is the first phase of an effort that will eventually comprise a 3 MW solar farm. According to the CMMA, when the project is completed, the Chattanooga airport will be the first such facility in the world to be energy self-sufficient.

The project used 150 Solar FlexRacks to hold 4,096 Suniva 245w solar modules. Work began in October 2011; contractor for the project was Inman Solar of Atlanta, Georgia.

Dan Fossitt of Inman said the Solar FlexRack was the racking provider of choice due to its ease of installation, a very good price point, and the ease of working with the Solar FlexRack engineering team.

“We liked that this was was an American-made product, and that all the documents required for the project were delivered to us on time,” said Fossit. “The bonus was the time we saved installing the Solar FlexRack; it really went up fast and with a small labor crew. We are very happy with the Solar FlexRack, and will use it again for other projects.”

The Solar FlexRack’s unique pre-assembled, unfolding design makes significantly accelerated construction times and dramatic savings on labor costs possible for any solar installation. While its nearest competitor touts an installation time of over 30 minutes with a six-man crew, a Solar FlexRack can be installed by a three-man crew in five minutes or less. Thus, when the Solar FlexRack is specified in an RFP, rack and panel installation bids can be as much as 50 percent lower.