More clean power is added to the nation's grid with the completion of this solar project
Another 5.2 mw of Solar Power Online
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Solar energy is one form of renewable energy that contributes to the total mix of energy sources consumed in the United States. Wind and solar make a small contribution compared to oil and gas but every renewable kilowatt of power is one that does not have to be generated by fossil fuels. The effort to capture the sun’s energy and put it to use is becoming more efficient with every generation of solar panels manufactured. The above graphics show the increasing contribution solar energy makes to overall energy consumption in the United States.
Electric Conduit Construction (ECC) works on many aspects of solar power generation projects. ECC solar projects include interconnections to the grid, inverter and transformer installation, horizontal directional drilling, civil work, and open cut underground construction. ECC is bringing another 5.2 megawatts of solar power online.
Situated in Northwestern Illinois, this current project covers 35+ acres in two fields and generates 2.6 MW for each field. Building these fields involves a great deal of underground construction. Once the panel supports are set the work of trenching in thousands of feet of conduit can begin. This conduit will bring the combiner wires together to be routed to inverters and transformers. Wires are pulled and terminated. This additive process of serial and parallel connections continues until connections are made at the inverter. This project required an excavation of 18,000+ feet of trench.
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The solar panels on this project were rated 585W, wired in series each string of panels (24) produces 1500V DC at 9.36 amperes, given optimal conditions. The combiners gather the string voltages in parallel to 1500V and 270-250 amperes. From the combiners, DC solar disconnects allow for isolation of that combiner, the associated inverter converts the DC energy to AC, 600V at 1875 amperes. The inverters are individually protected/isolated at the switchgear with OCP (over current protection) breaker, the main buss of the gear is hardlined to a 1950kVA solar transformer. Transformers convert to 34.5 KV and intercepts the utility provider to power the grid.
Solar farms have design lifetimes of 25 to 30 years. This requires the work to be done to specified standards of accuracy. The supporting structure is galvanized steel and, if installed properly, requires little maintenance. Over the life of the solar array the maintenance will be performed on panels and electronic equipment.
All trenches received conduit and compacted fill over warning tape. ECC’s capabilities allow it to build complete, turnkey, solar farm installations. Civil, concrete, trenching, directional drilling, conduit, and wire placement. Wire termination and fiber optic control cables are all performed in- house. If you need solar arrays installed, please use our “Request a Project” button to submit your bid information or call Carl Oko at 630-360-7903 to talk directly about your project.