A deployable solar tracker system comprising a single-axis solar tracker including a plurality of foldable panel array sections, each foldable panel array section comprising:
- a shaft section;
- a plurality of paired support ribs arranged at opposite sides of said shaft section and hinged to the shaft section;
- and
- a plurality of solar panels attached to said support ribs;
- wherein the support ribs and solar panels are movable between a folded position, in which the solar panels are opposite and parallel to each other, and an unfolded position, in which energy-collecting surfaces of the solar panels are coplanar to each other;
- and wherein the plurality of foldable panel array sections are configured for being shipped together in a shipping arrangement, in which the respective shaft sections are side by side and parallel to each other and the support ribs and solar panels are in said folded position, and for being unloaded in a deployment location and arranged in a work arrangement, in which the respective shaft sections are aligned and connected together and the support ribs and solar panels are in said unfolded position,
- wherein each foldable panel array section has a handling element attached on top of the shaft section thereof, said handling element having at least one handle opening dimensioned for receiving at least one lift member in a transversal direction perpendicular to the shaft section, said handle openings of the handling elements of the plurality of the foldable panel array sections being mutually aligned in the shipping arrangement,
- further comprising a transport frame elongated in a longitudinal direction and dimensioned to hold the plurality of foldable panel array sections in said shipping arrangement with the shaft sections oriented parallel to said longitudinal direction,
- wherein the transport frame comprises a front end and an opposite rear end in the longitudinal direction, a front frame assembly located at said front end, longitudinal base members parallel to the longitudinal direction, transversal base members, and side members connected together, and
- wherein the transport frame further comprises end fork-receiving openings arranged at said front end of the transport frame and dimensioned for receiving fork members of a forklift oriented in the longitudinal direction, and rigidizing structural elements providing flexural stiffness to the transport frame in the longitudinal direction,
- wherein said rigidizing structural elements comprise the longitudinal base members connected to a lower portion of said front frame assembly and said side members connected to an upper portion of the front frame assembly and to the longitudinal base members forming rigidizing triangles,
- wherein the transport frame is configured to be disassembled in said deployment location and the longitudinal base members and the side members of the transport frame are configured to be incorporated to said single-axis solar tracker as rigidizing members forming rigidizing triangles.