Cables & Wires

Prefabricated wire wipes wipes out related schedule risks out related schedule risks

BY JOE PARZYCH | EBOS WIRE PRODUCT MANAGER | TERRASMART

The pandemic has caused unpredictable material costs and shortages. Add the constant challenge of balancing risks and returns and it's an increasingly complex climate for solar EPCs and developers.

The numbers aren’t great. Currently, 90% of all power and energy infrastructure projects are either overbudget or delayed, according to a study by FMI Consulting. Analysts from the International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology say construction projects overall typically exceed budget by at least 16% — often far more.

Utility-scale PV construction is no different: Every minute and every cent counts.

So how do EPCs ensure solid project effi ciencies and returns? By making sure to address every detail proactively throughout the project lifecycle. Take a neglected eBOS component: wiring. Cutting corners in the wiring supply chain risks unforeseen delays and cost overruns in a project’s fi nal phases that can damage overall profi tability.

Optimized electrical and wiring layouts, streamlined product deliveries and dependable partners are key to avoiding downstream challenges.

Key considerations for wiring success

Consider prefabricated wire over bulk options. While bulk wiring may seem less expensive initially, prefabricated solutions that are custom-built to meet a project’s unique layout will result in faster integration in the fi eld.

Bulk, off-the-shelf wires require more time to manually crimp, cut and install

on site, adding labor and equipment costs. Using bulk wiring can also lead to inconsistent tolerances and inefficient material use and waste — and that’s if all goes well. Wire connection incompatibility in a project’s final stage can impact tight, end-of-project timelines and budgets when there is no slack left in the schedule. Lastly, wire fabricated in the field can’t provide the consistency and long-term reliability that is critically important to asset owners and operators.

By comparison, prefabricated wiring can offset risks and yield the following advantages: • Wire systems are assembled with precise wiring gauge, harness length and combiner box combinations. • In-house assembly means superior quality control for better reliability and performance. • Controlled manufacturing compresses lead times and results in faster delivery. • Customized solutions simplify on-site execution and compress installation schedules. • Efficient plug-and-play connections are packaged for accurate installation in the field.

The final result is a high-quality wire solution that is custom-manufactured to each project’s unique cost and schedule requirements.

What to look for in an eBOS partner

Developing custom wire solutions requires solar experience. Make sure to select a wiring provider that understands other PV components and has a global perspective on the project’s lifecycle. Most bulk wiring providers don’t.

An experienced partner familiar with project complexities both upstream and downstream can anticipate installation issues. Look for a wire provider that can value-engineer custom solutions based on unique project factors like topography, racking height and number of modules. A wire provider should be familiar with O&M practices and able to design a wiring strategy that supports the project’s long-term maintenance.

There are added benefits to working with eBOS partners that integrate wiring with other electrical components. When combined with a turnkey eBOS and mounting offering and in-house assembly, project pitfalls can be avoided, creating a smooth and coordinated process throughout execution.

Project success story

When cranberry farmers in southern Massachusetts decided to go solar, they were not fully aware of the complexities involved in putting in an agrivoltaics system. Their hybrid system combined 9 MW of solar with 36 MWh of storage and was to be installed over a producing, 150-year-old cranberry wetland (bog).

Installing a system over fragile cranberry vines demands extreme caution, requiring precise placement of panels and wiring. The array had to be high enough to not interfere with the crops below and to allow for farming activities such as harvesting to take place seamlessly.

That meant designing the system with some unique features: • Modules had to be mounted on 25- to 40-ft-long wooden, moistureresistant utility poles driven 15 to 30 ft into the ground to elevate the trackers 10 ft above the bog. At this height, significantly more wire was required than for a standard ground-mount system. • Keeping the cranberry bogs fully functioning and undisrupted was key; the wiring solution needed to minimize installation activities. • Wires had to be delivered within a tight six-week timeline rather than the usual eight- to 12-week lead times.

Collaborating with the developer and the EPC, the wire partner designed and delivered a customized solution to ensure the project’s success.

Wiring was combined with other BOS components to create a turnkey solution. The system took into account the project’s unique height, placement, human activities and project turnaround times. And instead of waiting for the racking to be completed before installing the wiring, the partner put the wiring in place alongside the racking and module installations.

The added benefit of using a prefabricated wiring solution ensured speedy installation. About 1,300 source circuit conductors were cut to length and labeled in the factory. The wires were terminated with MC4 connectors installed on the panel end for fast connection with the combiners, and the bundles were shipped on spools to the site.

Bespoke design and execution yields success

Leveraging turnkey BOS experience and in-house assembly allowed the wiring partner to bring unique value to this complex installation, delivering thoughtful coordination and simplicity onsite. The customized, end-to-end wiring solution delivered a quick plug-and-play execution, including: • Accommodating the atypical height over the bog with consistent and accurate cut lengths. • Streamlining wiring integration with combiner boxes. • Coordinating with other components to shave weeks off the typical timeline for a project of this size and complexity. • Ensuring speedy product delivery and wiring so that construction did not delay harvest.

The outcome points to the benefits of selecting a wiring partner with upfront problem solving skills and expert estimators who can design custom solutions. Finding a flexible vendor with a view of the entire process — from design and supply chain to manufacturing — delivers high-quality planning and solutions to mitigate project risks. SPW

The United States has finally entered the o shore wind boom

No disrespect to land-based wind projects – they still contribute over 10% of the country’s U.S. electrical capacity and (along with utility-scale solar) made up more than 90% of new U.S. generation additions in the fi rst half of 2021. But it’s fi nally time for offshore wind to shine.

The Biden Administration in March announced a goal to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind in the United States by 2030, a target that will also create tens of thousands of union jobs and provide more than $12 billion in annual capital investment in projects on both U.S. coasts. The U.S. offshore market was already starting to advance, but direct support from the presidential administration encourages actual progress.

In order to meet the ambitious goal by the end of the decade, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has to advance new lease sales and review operation plans much more quickly. Ports need to be upgraded to accommodate offshore development and new factories need to be constructed close to shores. And probably most important, more Jones Act-compliant wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) – the platforms with large decks and legs that lift out of the water, along with a crane to position offshore turbines – need to hit waters. These are all items the United States is currently working on.

If everything proceeds positively, industry research groups are still predicting the United States to fall short of Biden’s goals. The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) predicts the country to hit 28.4 GW by 2030, while IHS Markit is even less optimistic, predicting only 21 GW. This isn’t just a U.S. problem – IHS says that new infrastructure has to be rapidly developed to meet future technological advancements, or else the global market will stall out. For example, current WTIVs are unable to install turbines exceeding 15 MW – while companies like GE and Siemens Gamesa continue to push the limits with their offshore turbine prototypes. Adjacent industries must catch up to the wind market’s appetite for innovation.

In the meantime, the country is marching forward. BOEM will begin offering West Coast lease sales in early 2022, with over 95% of the proposed lease sale area located 30 miles off the California Coast. New lease areas off North Carolina and New York will also open soon, and the department is exploring the wind potential in the Gulf of Mexico. New Jersey is building an offshore monopile foundation manufacturing facility and New York has established a site to build support structures for offshore towers. Dominion Energy has a Jones Act-qualifi ed WTIV that it has agreed to loan to Ørsted for use on an offshore site near Rhode Island while also using it for its own project near Virginia.

The United States can still meet Biden’s offshore goals through industry cooperation. There are many markets to model – the leading European market has its own lofty goal of 60 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 300 GW by 2050. Governments across the world are setting more ambitious goals, the cost to install offshore turbines is coming down and new foundation types (fl oating wind) allow for projects in deeper waters with windier weather.

The U.S. offshore wind market is fi nally making real progress. Expect more new project announcements and adjacent industry players entering the market in 2022 and beyond. WPE