FTC Solar Launches Enhanced Pioneer+ Terrain Following Tracker at RE+ to Minimize Grading and Speed Installation
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTC Solar today launched its 1P Pioneer+ Terrain Following (TF) tracker, designed to minimize site grading while accelerating construction timelines. Engineered for complex terrain, Pioneer+ TF adapts to natural site contours-reducing civil work, preserving site integrity, and maintaining high performance and reliability.
Key differentiators of FTC Solar's Pioneer+ TF are:
- Mechanical Articulation:
Offers +/- 10 degrees of mechanical adjustability at the center post and up to 1.5 degrees of articulation at each line post, with undulation and reveal adjustment up to 18 inches. This level of terrain conformity can cut grading volumes significantly, in some projects up to 95%, depending on site conditions.
- PathFinder Integration:
The tracker is supported by FTC Solar's proprietary terrain analysis engine PathFinder which rapidly and precisely evaluates solar sites before construction. The software ingests layouts and topographic surveys, maps true slopes and constraints, runs rapid iterations, and automatically balances cut and fill to minimize grading and aligns trackers to actual contours, helping avoid costly late-stage design changes.
By preserving natural drainage patterns and limiting soil disturbance, Pioneer+ TF supports erosion control, habitat protection, and permitting outcomes that strengthen a project's ESG profile.
Being an extension of the Pioneer tracker, design flexibility is already built in, with universal torque tubes, module agnostic rails, and intuitive components that enable faster installation and accommodate late-stage module changes.
"We're committed to helping our customers tackle the toughest site challenges with smarter, more adaptable tracker solutions," said Yann Brandt, CEO of FTC Solar. "With Pioneer+ TF and PathFinder, we're not just minimizing grading - we're enabling faster builds, better economics, and broader site viability. This is the kind of flexibility the industry needs, and FTC Solar is built to deliver."
The Pioneer+ Terrain Following tracker is a key part of FTC Solar's commitment to delivering Smarter Tracker solutions that enhance performance and reliability while addressing the growing complexity of today's solar project sites. Pioneer+ TF represents another important milestone in enabling customers to build successfully on challenging terrain while reducing cost and risk.
To learn more about FTC Solar's Smart Trackers, please contact us via the link below.
To learn more about FTC Solar's smart trackers, please contact us via email at [email protected], or at https://www.ftcsolar.com/start-conversation/
About FTC Solar Inc.
Founded in 2017 by a group of renewable energy industry veterans, FTC Solar is a leading provider of solar tracker systems, technology, software, and engineering services. Solar trackers significantly increase energy production at solar power installations by dynamically optimizing solar panel orientation to the sun. FTC Solar's innovative tracker designs provide compelling performance and reliability, with an industry-leading installation cost-per-watt advantage.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on our current expectations and projections regarding our business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and as such are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements as predictions of future events, as actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements because of several factors, including those described in more detail above and in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the section entitled "Risk Factors" contained therein. FTC Solar undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law.
