SOLAR GARDEN
CENTRAL MISSOURI
6.5 MW | WIRE SOLUTION
Challenge
In close partnership with the electricity provider, the customer was committed to building this community solar project in the eastern part of central Missouri—the utility’s largest solar project to date—in a blazing-fast six months; such a project typically takes nine months or more to complete.
To meet that deadline, every aspect of the solar projects’ construction had to go without a hitch; 12,204 panels would be needed to produce the 12 GWHs of electricity promised to the solar garden’s local subscribers. While the mechanical installation of solar modules and racking tends to be the fastest part of construction, the complex electrical demands require far more time.
To ensure on-time delivery while maximizing value, the project’s EPC had to select partners with deep product expertise and superior customer service to manage any issues that might arise. Terrasmart was an ideal fit.
Solution
Customized wiring for maximum project value. Terrasmart brought its bespoke, pre-fabricated wire insights to the project for a faster plug-and- play experience in the field. Because it delivers a complete solution, each spool is shipped to the correct length with the right connectors, built to factory tolerances to ensure reliability. Terrasmart’s project scope includes customized wire and combiner box supply:
source circuit conductors (SCC)
jumpers (various lengths)
combiner boxes
Quick and flexible at scale. Surging ahead, Terrasmart estimators worked alongside the EPC’s engineering and project management teams to generate a purchase order and begin fulfillment of the system’s SCC wiring within just one month.
Unrivaled eBOS expertise. As one of the oldest eBOS providers in the solar industry, we bring sector- leading knowledge, experience, and unique problem-solving skills to pinpoint opportunities for wiring optimization. In reviewing the Missouri project’s details, our estimators noticed the project was using conduit to bring the SCCs to the combiner boxes; the customer originally had requested that the combiner boxes have whips for easy and fast connections. By drawing the EPC’s attention to the issue, the project team was able to shorten the conduit and proceed with whips, saving time in the field with a faster solution.
Speed and expertise brought immediate results to the project. And as the project proceeds, we continue support through bi-weekly conference calls with the EPC ensures a headache-free execution.
Result
By addressing the project’s complex needs up-front with a customized wire solution, we helped streamline its on-site execution. Problem-solving expertise allowed us to value- engineer and manufacture tailor-made solutions to specific project specs, using factory finished products for reliable performance over the long term.
Terrasmart’s unique customization outperforms alternative solutions on time and cost. Compared to off-the-shelf wire in bulk, its pre-fabricated wire means there are no additional in-field costs to unspool, cut to length, strip the ends, and add connectors. This also means the EPC does not have to incur the risks of wire inconsistencies or wastage in the field, saving time on-site.
Had the EPC brought in bulk wire for use with Terrasmart’s pre-assembled combiners, substantially more field man- hours would have been required to cut each conduit to accommodate the whips and connect every source circuit. But with Terrasmart as a partner, the EPC benefited from one single-source supplier for the box and wire, ensuring that wire lengths and connector types matched up ahead of time, streamlining construction and avoiding additional labor costs.
