Solar Monkey and WS Energia Announce Agreement on Solar Tracking Systems

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solar Monkey™ and Portuguese company, WS Energia®, today announced an agreement to establish a new generation of high precision, reliable and affordable solar tracking systems in North America based on WS Energia’s patented award winning tracker design. According to both companies these products increase output efficiencies, reliability, and lower the costs of solar energy tracking systems over those currently available.

The cost of incorporating sun tracking technology into solar energy systems has been high compared to fixed-tilt ground mounted systems. Solar energy generation can be improved by as much as 35% through the use of tracking systems. Now that these highly reliable solutions exist, tracking technology will make sense for many more applications, facilitating their broader adoption in North America.

This tracking technology won “Best National Innovation in Portugal” in 2006. In 2007 the robotics that controls WS Energia’s trackers was distinguished for its effectiveness on solar energy production, ease of installation and overall configuration by the panel of the Live EDGE Electronic Design for the Global Environment challenge. The competition reviewed more than 3500 designs from 102 countries and awarded the robotics controlling the trackers among the five most creative electronic designs that will have a positive effect on the environment.

Solar Monkey’s CEO, Matthew McCullough said, “We are very pleased to be partnering with WS Energia; a company clearly deeply committed to providing innovative solutions to today’s energy challenges. These trackers will help us continue to reduce the cost of solar energy.”

The agreement with Solar Monkey will allow the companies to jointly develop manufacturing and production facilities within the US using WS Energia’s technology already available in the EU. WS Energia Research has developed a suite of solar tracking and concentrating technologies and has product installations currently operating throughout Europe. Gianfranco Sorasio, President of WS Energia said, "WS Energia’s advanced technology, combined with Solar Monkey’s sales, marketing and distribution capabilities will provide a valuable tool for consumers, businesses and utilities throughout North America to reliably increase solar energy production.”