Ohio-Based Solar Flexrack Delivers Steel Racking at Brantley Solar
When people think of solar farms they often think of solar modules, but not the dozens of other parts that go into making the energy facility. Steel racking systems are one of the biggest components of utility-scale, ground mounted solar farms. The racks serve an important role by holding the modules at a pre-determined tilt angle, thus maximizing the energy output of the system.
Solar FlexRack, a Youngstown, Ohio manufacturer, is one of the U.S.-based racking manufacturers Cypress Creek works with to procure steel racks for our solar farms. The company recently delivered steel racking solution to our Brantley solar farm, a 71 MWdc facility 30 miles east of Raleigh. We are pleased to be working with Solar FlexRack to supply our Brantley project with American-made components widely recognized across the industry for their quality.
More than 5,200 tons of North-American sourced steel went into the racks manufactured for Cypress Creek’s Brantley solar farm, which is equivalent to the amount of steel in about 4,300 cars. Currently, about 100 people are working on site at Brantley solar farm to install racking and modules.
Solar FlexRack’s manufacturing facilities, located in Youngstown, Ohio, employ hundreds of people. The manufacturer is just one of the 109 solar manufacturers in Ohio and one of 1,937 manufacturers in the United States that make components for solar farms, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association.
Steve Daniel, Executive Vice President of Solar FlexRack said, “We are extremely pleased to have been selected to supply this project. Cypress Creek Renewables has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the solar industry in North Carolina, generating jobs for communities, and providing passive income opportunities for landowners. As long-term solar project owners and operators, they care about the quality of the systems they install which resonates with our values as a quality-driven organization.”
Brantley solar farm will provide enough electricity to power about 8,000 homes annually and is expected to be operational by the end of this year.
