NEXTracker Acquires Optimum Tracker Intellectual Property and Enters into Agreement for Market Expansion

NEXTracker announced a technology agreement with French solar tracker company, Optimum Tracker. NEXTracker has acquired key Optimum Tracker’s intellectual property (IP), including issued and pending patents, related to mechanical, electrical and software systems that will allow further differentiation of NEXTracker’s solar tracker portfolio of products and services. The acquired IP is especially relevant for NEXTracker’s ground-breaking TrueCapture control system, which increases typical PV power plant energy harvest by 2 to 6 percent. The strategic partnership will also enable the two companies to expand their market presence in the burgeoning Middle East, Southern Europe, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa regions.

“Optimum’s patent portfolio fortifies NEXTracker’s IP position related to smart tracking control and selected mechanical elements,” stated Dan Shugar, NEXTracker CEO. “The company has a great team and has driven innovation in advanced algorithms and optimization. We look forward to collaborating with Optimum on technology, and serving selected customers in targeted markets”

“We are honored to work with NEXTracker in the coming years,” explained Optimum Tracker’s President and Co-Founder Yacin de Welle. “This collaboration will help us both to enhance our products and propose state-of-the-art innovations, making solar an even more affordable and efficient energy source. Thanks to the complementary capabilities of our companies, we also expect to reach numerous markets worldwide.”

Solar tracker technology has firmly surpassed fixed-tilt solar applications for ground-mount utility-scale solar, with year-over-year growth of 32 percent in 2017, according to Greentech Media. This partnership is a strategic move for both companies to exploit their core competencies, differentiate their technologies and lower their customers’ levelized cost of energy in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.