Array Tech Founder Corio Wins S&P Global Energy “Godfather” Award

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

Ron Corio, the founder and chief innovation officer at Array Technologies, has been named a Lifetime Achiever within the 2018 S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards. In a black tie affair, Corio, who has built and delivered 25 gigawatt-years of solar tracker generation to sites around the world, was honored Dec. 6 in New York as a godfather of the solar tracker industry.

The annual awards program honors organizations and individuals in the energy industry who are dedicated to achieving excellence. Albuquerque-based Array has delivered more solar trackers to the global market than any other company.

“Receiving this award is one of the greatest professional honors that I have had the pleasure of experiencing,” said Corio. “To be recognized among such a group of distinguished individuals within the energy industry is humbling, and to have been awarded is absolutely remarkable. The renewable energy sector has been my life’s work and my passion.”

Corio built his first solar tracker in 1989, and inspired by nature and informed from experience, he has continued to innovate through simple, durable system design, with some 20,000 trackers delivered to date, with a cumulative annual generation yield of over 8 GW. Some 375 utility-scale installations include Array trackers.

→ Related: Ron Corio & The Solar Engineers Leading Array Technologies 

Last year, for example, Array provided solar trackers to six new Australian solar projects scheduled for commercial operation this year, with a total generation capacity of 586 MW that will provide reliable, clean power to 238,000 homes across Queensland and Victoria. As of August, Array announced that since entering the Australian market 18 months earlier, it has been awarded 15 projects exceeding 1 GW of installed capacity.

In GTM Research’s most recent annual tracker report, Array was identified as detaining a 55% market share in Australia. This bodes well for future sales there by the company, since the Australian Photovoltaic Institute estimates that a pipeline of around 35 GW of utility scale solar PV projects are in various stages of development.

“We congratulate Ron Corio for his win of Lifetime Achiever,” said Martin Fraenkel, president of S&P Global Platts. “The independent panel of judges was impressed with Ron Corio for his stand out performance in this awards category and for his commitment to the energy industry’s advancement.”

Chip in a few dollars a month to help support independent cleantech coverage that helps to accelerate the cleantech revolution!

In September, Array released its latest innovation, SmarTrack, an optimization technology that intelligently adjusts module angles in response to weather and site conditions. The new algorithmic software, in combination with the company’s latest version tracker, the DuraTrack HZ v3, will optimize backtracking power production on as-built project conditions to capture the maximum power yields during diffuse light conditions. Once an operational strategy has been learned, the tracker system orientates PV modules to the optimal angle for power output responding to specific module technology, weather, and site conditions.

Among factors the new software will focus on are backtracking for conditions where undulating or hillside sites can introduce shading of modules in the late or early morning hours. The software also will maximize the use of diffuse light caused by cloud cover. The third new focus is on bifacial and split-cell solar panels, which increase power yields from the backside gain of albedo, or light reflected from the ground.

“Ron is a true innovator and a leader, congratulations on this wonderful achievement,” said Jim Fusaro, chief executive officer of Array Technologies, “I am privileged and excited to continue our work by making a significant impact on the global energy transition by providing reliable and cost competitive solar solutions.”

The S&P program bestowed 21 awards upon companies and individuals before an audience of over 500 energy and finance executives at a black-tie ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan. For a third year, the event was emceed by CNBC Television Energy Correspondent Jackie DeAngelis. Finalists hailed from a record of 37 countries.

For the full list of 2018 Global Energy Awards winners, including the judges’ rationale, visit the Global Energy Awards website. A full summary of the winners is available via S&P Global Platts Insight Magazine, which includes sector-by-sector energy outlook analysis reports.

Array Technologies is the leading solar tracking solutions and services provider for utility-scale projects, utilizing linked-rows that deliver a low levelized cost of energy through low operation and maintenance costs. With efficient installation and terrain flexibility coupled with high reliability, durability, and performance, Array delivers the best project returns in the industry, the company claims. The company is headquartered in the United States with offices in Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East, and Australia.


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

Latest CleanTechnica TV Video


Advertisement
 
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.

Charles W. Thurston

Charles specializes in renewable energy, from finance to technological processes. Among key areas of focus are bifacial panels and solar tracking. He has been active in the industry for over 25 years, living and working in locations ranging from Brazil to Papua New Guinea.

Charles W. Thurston has 78 posts and counting. See all posts by Charles W. Thurston