Nextracker, a solar tracker company, has acquired U.S.-based Bentek Corporation, a manufacturer of electrical infrastructure used in all types of solar power plants.
The all-cash transaction of approximately $78 million combines Bentek’s engineered, pre-assembled electrical balance of systems (eBOS) solutions with Nextracker’s solar tracker platform, providing customers procurement and project logistics from a single source. The eBOS products will be offered as standalone, industry-compatible components for both trackers and fixed tilt systems, and in formats optimized for use in integrated system solutions for NX Horizon — one of Nextracker’s tracker offerings.
“It is fantastic to join forces with Bentek, expanding the Nextracker platform with exceptional eBOS products and expertise,” said Howard Wenger, president of Nextracker. “Together, we can offer fully engineered, integrated solutions that can help accelerate procurement and construction timelines and reduce installed cost, all backed by the trusted Nextracker brand. We believe that an integrated design approach can unlock synergies between the mechanical and electrical subsystems, driving enhanced customer value and creating a new and powerful solar power plant platform business model.”
This acquisition continues Nextracker’s strategy of incorporating complementary technologies into the company’s tracker platform to accelerate solar power plant construction, increase performance and enhance long-term reliability.
“SOLV is thrilled that Nextracker has entered eBOS manufacturing. We have been encouraging them to make this move to bring their operational excellence and financial strength to electrical products supporting solar power plants,” said George Hershman, CEO of SOLV Energy. “Bentek was a great choice for Nextracker. SOLV has been using their reliable and high-quality products for many years and is a current customer.”
eBOS technologies comprise the electrical infrastructure used in all utility-scale solar projects to collect and transport electricity from solar panels to power conditioning systems throughout the entire solar field. Bentek has provided patented eBOS technologies for the U.S. solar industry for over 15 years.
“Today is an exciting day for Nextracker and for U.S. solar manufacturing,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker. “In utility-scale solar, eBOS quality and reliability are critical to system uptime and long-term ROI. Bentek is a proven eBOS innovator and pioneer with several families of IP and issued patents. Nextracker’s financial resources, technology acumen, and supply chain expertise will enable Bentek to rapidly scale.”
Bentek’s eBOS solutions include:
- Trunk bus solutions – electrical DC collection strategy that combines PV harnessing and insulation piercing connector technology to connect panels to inverters. This solution consolidates wiring within the tracker rows and routes power directly to inverters, and is designed to lower field labor costs, improve reliability and reduce maintenance over the life of the system.
- Combiner box solutions – electrical DC collection strategy that combines PV harnessing using a pre-designed and manufactured combiner box to connect panels to inverters. Generally mounted on the tracker rows to combine solar panel strings in the field and deliver power to inverters, this approach is a plug-and-play solution.
- Configurable harness solutions – tailored for each project, both string and over-mold harnesses connect multiple PV strings in parallel for plug-and-play DC aggregation. These solutions feature factory-manufactured over-molded fuses and joints, enabling configurations for a range of cable sizes and connector types.
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