The Green Blueprint Nextracker's blueprint for 100 gigawatts of solar trackers
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Mar 26, 2025 In this discussion, Dan Shugar, the innovative founder and CEO of Nextracker, shares his journey in solar tracking technology since the 1980s. He emphasizes customer-centric innovation and how strategic partnerships have propelled Nextracker's growth. The conversation dives into their cutting-edge HailPro system designed to protect solar panels and the impacts of COVID-19 on supply chains and manufacturing. Dan also reveals how AI and machine learning are shaping the future of solar while navigating challenges during Nextracker's transformation into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
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Early Customer Partnership
- Partner with customers early on for new technology development.
- Implement small pilot programs and gather customer feedback for product improvement.
Customer's Hail Damage
- A customer experienced $70 million in hail damage, prompting Nextracker to develop a solution.
- This led to the creation of HailPro, a system that tilts panels to minimize hail impact.
Overcast Day Experiment
- Dan Shugar experimented with solar panel angles on an overcast day.
- He discovered that flat panels generated more energy than tilted ones, revealing the sky's diffusive effect.