Working in two shifts in record low temperatures and stormy conditions, installers completed the ground mount array in just 36 days (during a record 60-year storm with 24 inches of snow and 60 mph gusts).

Case Study - 2.4 MW Solar Ground Mount Orange, Massachusetts

Contributed by | Creotecc Solar Mounting Systems

Facing short lead times, tight deadlines and extreme weather conditions, the project partners worked together with great efficiency to deliver a 2.4MW solar array on time for a utility client. Martifer Solar developed the project and brought Creotecc on board in late October 2012 to design and engineer the mounting system, coordinate pile testing, deliver materials and organize racking assembly.

Sunstall was brought on by Creotecc to perform pile driving, racking and panel installation, system grounding and overall site management. Working in two shifts in record low temperatures and stormy conditions, installers completed the ground mount array in just 36 days (during a record 60-year storm with 24 inches of snow and 60 mph gusts).

Adding an additional element of challenge, Sunstall had not previously installed the CREOTERRA ground mount system. With on-site support from Creotecc, they learned rapidly and within a few hours were up to speed executing fast, efficient assembly.

Most of the array was pile driven with 8 foot embedment depths. Pour-in-place ballast was used on a small portion of the site where rocky soil was an issue. Due to the flexible racking design of CREOTERRA, pile refusals were re-engineered quickly and even in extreme winter conditions deadlines were met.

OVERVIEW
System Size: 2.4 MW
Location: Orange, MA
Developer: Martifer Solar

Racking Design: Creotecc Solar Mounting System
Racking Installation: Sunstall
Installation Time Frame: 36 Days

EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Mounting System: CREOTERRA Ground Mount System by Creotecc
Modules: TW235P60-FA2
Inverters: Solectria Smart Grid 500 KW
LayOut: 3-high x 26 long in Portrait, 30° tilt, pile driven with 8 foot embedment depth. Some locations required ballast foundation due to underground conditions

 

About Creotecc

With over 600 MW installed globally, Creotecc offers US-made, clamp-free solutions for residential, commercial and utility applications. Clamp-free module mounting results in faster panelization and significant labor savings.

The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag

Comments (3)

With H2 as coolant the grid would allow fuel cells to generate power all along the grid and water recovery. The grid could generate H2 with base load power as a way of storing the power in the form of H2. The H2 could be generated at the coast from seawater and potential water transport to dry regions that need water and power. 11% of mass is transferred using H2 rather than H2O.
This is real cool! (pun)... A real basic question regarding the superconductor (HTS) wire technology, what happens when the wire develops a liquid nitrogen gas leak, self healing, or ??
I'm curious why the article doesn't mention the possibility of pumping liquid hydrogen in the underground pipe, both to cool the superconductor and to transmit an approximately-equal amount of energy in the H2. The "SuperGrid" has been fairly widely discussed. Of course, LH2 is significantly colder and harder to handle, but its use also may make it possible to use cheaper (lower-temperature) superconductors. Also, don't you end up STORING a considerable amount of energy in a long superconductor, in its EMF? Energy storage is much needed.

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