Integrated solution supports solar’s burgeoning growth
While the global pandemic brought global economies to a screeching halt, the utility solar industry proved itself to be a stalwart iconoclast.
In the fourth quarter of 2020 alone, utility solar brought 6.3 GWs of new capacity online — up 40 percent over 2019 — making it the industry’s largest quarter on record and clinching 2020’s claim on being the largest year on record, with a whopping 13.9 GWs of total new capacity. While the pipeline for contracted utility projects now has leveled out for the first time, it is expected to keep growing through this year and well into 2022.
With solar on course to deliver the lowest-price electricity on the planet, the horizon glows bright for the industry as a whole. Researchers at Wood Mackenzie forecast improved module technology as the biggest factor in solar’s future cost decline, bringing greater power density and more power per square foot. Greater density translates into new efficiencies for all involved; it means fewer electrical balance of system (BOS) components, less racking equipment, reduced labor, and less land required for the same capacity.
Integration drives efficiency
But increased panel efficiency is not the only way EPCs and developers can achieve project economies. New ways of bundling components and services are sprouting up in the PV landscape to make solar faster and more cost-effective.
As one of the industry’s first providers of electric BOS components, SolarBOS shines a light on new integrations — and greater efficiencies — across a project’s DC portion. Since 2004, SolarBOS continuously has earned its place as one of the top eBOS suppliers in the country. Among its key statistics: Equipping nearly 8.5 GWs of solar projects with over 80,000 combiners and 15 million feet of wire.
SolarBOS’ offerings reach beyond its electrical scope. Because of its affiliation with RBI Solar and the Gibraltar Renewable Energy Group, the company integrates its components with key industry racking leaders to wrap the entire DC scope efficiently. As part of the Gibraltar family of companies, SolarBOS can leverage industry-leading technologies from its partner companies, including recently acquired TerraSmart and its unique ground screw foundations, adaptable fixed and tracking solutions, and complete installation. The unique synergy between electrical, mechanical, and construction demands makes SolarBOS a key part of a complete utility solution.
EPCs across the country are taking advantage of this rare integration to streamline component selection, purchasing, and logistics; the one-stop shop also increases overall project value through bundled pricing. SolarBOS utility experts consult with EPCs and coordinate with Gibraltar’s racking companies to recommend the most suitable products for each site’s unique conditions and mounting requirements. This multiservice approach helps speed component delivery, reduce schedule risks, and open up substantial savings for competitive project returns.
Streamlined cable management cuts labor costs and keeps schedules on track
Value-chain integration is not the only way SolarBOS delivers project efficiencies. Innovative combiner box and wire solutions are fused in SolarBOS’ new LINK system to reduce on-site assembly for more efficient, cost-effective installations. This prefabricated wire harness and combiner box system delivers large-scale project advantages to smaller systems under 40 MWs, increasing speed, reducing labor costs and shortening timelines. Because LINK allows below-grade cables and combiner boxes, installation allows for fewer row interruptions and more fluid access to vegetation control while plug-and-play component replacements streamline O&M.
Fast delivery of bespoke systems helps meet project goals
SolarBOS custom-tailors its offerings to meet each project’s cost and performance requirements, leveraging its industry-leading responsiveness with products delivered to sites quickly. Each project is designed to meet specifications cost-effectively with a broad selection of connector types, conductor lengths, and custom labels. After recently doubling its manufacturing capacity, SolarBOS is more nimble with one of the fastest lead times in the industry. This is critical for EPCs performing on projects under intense time pressures.
Solar group bolsters PV industry growth
Gibraltar’s Renewable Energy Group already has deployed 19 GWs of solar across 4,600 PV systems. Now, with a track record of success on massive utility projects between 200 MWs and 1 GW — and nearly 4 GWs of DC combiners supplied so far — the SolarBOS + Gibraltar partnership is ideally poised to wrap industry-leading technology into utility-scale solar’s burgeoning growth spurt.
