In 2023, the Shandong Caiyangzi Salt Farm PV Demonstration Project—located in Yangkou Town, Shouguang—was successfully connected to the grid and has been operating stably ever since. Situated in a highly corrosive salt-alakali environment with significant wind pressure, the project posed dual challenges of corrosion resistance and structural wind resilience. VersolSolar’s V-Flex Aqua flexible mounting system overcame these extreme conditions through material and structural innovation, ensuring long-term reliability and providing a benchmark solar power solution for salt farm environments.
Overcoming Extreme Environments with Engineering Innovation
As one of Shandong’s major sea salt production areas, Caiyangzi Salt Farm features highly corrosive soil and salt spray, combined with strong coastal winds. Traditional fixed-tilt systems often require dense piling (~290 piles/MW), increasing corrosion risk, and are prone to wind-induced vibration and damage under extreme weather.VersolSolar’s V-Flex Aqua system incorporates a cable-truss structure with pre-stressed dynamic tuning, significantly enhancing environmental adaptability and structural reliability.
Three Key Advantages of the V-Flex Aqua System
1️⃣ Reduced Piling & Enhanced Land Compatibility
With a single-span design of 36.42 meters (5-span total 182.1m), the system uses only 144 piles per MW—a 50.3% reduction compared to conventional solutions. This not greatly decreases corrosion risk but also shortens construction time, lowers cost, and preserves original salt production operations.
2️⃣ Advanced Anti-Corrosion Protection
The system employs upgraded materials and surface treatments in all critical components, offering exceptional corrosion resistance and ensuring structural integrity and safety throughout its lifecycle.
3️⃣ Wind-Adaptive Design with 3.5m Clearance
The pre-stressed cable-truss system provides breakthrough wind resistance: a 3.5-meter ground clearance prevents salt accumulation, supports salt farming activities under the panels, and promotes wind energy dissipation through elastic deformation. Low-drag morphology and inter-row stabilization ensure structural stability across large spans and complex terrain.
Project Significance & Future Applications
The Caiyangzi project demonstrates VersolSolar’s capability to deliver highly reliable and low-maintenance solar energy solutions under some of the most challenging environments. It offers valuable technical and engineering insights for future solar-salt farming complementary projects on alkaline coastal lands.
Looking ahead, VersolSolar will continue to refine its scenario-specific design expertise and promote the adoption of flexible solar mounting systems along the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea coastal regions—transforming saline-alkali land into productive renewable energy hubs.
