Cost, complexity, and prohibitive lead-times are typical barriers for smaller distribution projects, but IEA enlisted Solar Operations Solutions’ (Solar-Ops) and its myPV IQ Grid Support power plant control (PPC) solution. The myPV line of modular interconnection, weather station, networking, monitoring, and control products were able to fulfill the project’s technical and budgetary requirements.
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“Traditional switchgear and SCADA solutions are made-to-order per project – making them expensive to develop and support,” said Brad Micallef, Managing Director of Solar-Ops. “Delivery takes longer because they are engineered from scratch. In contrast, the myPV brand is designed to serve a broad range of projects using standardized, documented, and supportable products. This approach allows the myPV solutions to provide utility-class integration and control features to smaller renewable projects in a much shorter timeframe and at a project-appr
Solar FlexRack’s Fixed Tilt FlexRack Series G3-X racking solution is fully operational for Azimuth Energy’s 1.1 MW solar project on Highbourne Cay in the Bahamas as part of the owner’s sustainability goals. This robust microgrid, which includes the largest PV array operating in the Bahamas to date, was designed to withstand up to 180 mph winds and provides reliable around-the-clock power in the face of increasingly severe hurricanes. It includes a 2 MWh battery plant that enables all resort generators to be switched off for the first time in fifty years, resulting in cleaner air and greater savings for up to 100 residents and guests at the resort at any given time.
That pluck has landed his Charlottesville company the opportunity to be the first to generate large-scale renewable power on the coalfields of Central Appalachia. If the bold venture announced this week comes to fruition, roughly 550 acres of deforested minelands sprinkled across an expansive Nature Conservancy preserve will generate up to 75 megawatts of solar energy within two to three years.
“If it were easy, everybody would be doing it,” Van Clief said about plunging into untested territory. “I’m thrilled … to play a small part in the energy transition in Southwest Virginia. This is a breakout moment for the region. There’s been a lot of talk about this but not as much action.”
Fraunhofer ISE research projects like this show how dual-use PV offers protection against hail, frost and drought damage. Boston-based BlueWave Solar has
Sunstall’s philosophy is “manufacturing under the sun.” They apply Japanese lean manufacturing principles like Jidoka (to create flow and eliminate waste), Poke Yoke (to prevent errors and guarantee quality) and, my favorite, Kaizen, which means “change for the better” and implies an effort of continuous improvement.
For contractors like Sunstall, to apply these principles and achieve true efficiency means working in tandem with suppliers who can deliver.
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“Want to see what my day is like?” Biernath asks. “When is the permit coming in? When is the material coming in? With installation efficiency, it’s nice to see the brochure with the installation time, but it doesn’t matter if I can’t get the material, or if I don’t have the materials in the right order. If I can’t get certainty about the cadence, we don’t care about theoretical installation velocity. Ten years of experience tells me the times on the sheet won’t happen anyway.�