Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Hurricane Maria caused major damage in Puerto Rico, leaving much of the island without electricity. Covestro polyurethane is playing a pivotal role in the solar photovoltaic mobile electric generator from Day & Night Solar (DNS) that is being used to power construction sites for permanent renewable energy sources.
The expansive retractable array framework of the Sun Commander generator is formed from polyurethane composites produced via pultrusion using a Covestro polyurethane system. Creative Pultrusions pultruded the polyurethane used for the Sun Commander generator’s framework. This composite enabled DNS to reduce the weight of the Sun Commander Series 8000 generator by half a ton.
Polyurethane composites are ideal for use in the coastal environment where the construction sites are located, said Covestro. They will neither rot nor rust, and are corrosion resistant. They are also non-conductive, so grounding is not necessary, the firm added..
The generator is being towed from one construction site to the next behind a standard pickup truck. It has 36 x 260W panels, with a total DC system size of 9.36kW.
‘Advanced polyurethane composites are an ideal fit for solar technologies due to their lightweight, non-conductive and rust-resistant properties, and are far superior to traditional materials,’ said Eric Denison, Covestro’s vice president of polyurethane systems.
‘Sustainability is a core part of our mission at Covestro, and we’re proud that DNS continues to use our materials to help advance the adoption of renewable energy sources,’ he added.
