The solar industry continues to grow rapidly every year due to a growing desire for clean energy, cost reductions in solar technology, and government incentives. As more solar projects are being developed around the globe, the question becomes: How can we more effectively and efficiently build these solar projects, with safety, quality, and environmental and economic impact as the focus.
Solar construction projects tend to span months to years, utilize numerous resources, and require the skills, attention, and focus of many parties. While Solar EPC’s are responsible for the majority of solar construction, many developers turn to third-party solar contractors to complete specialized scopes because of the benefits involved of using a third-party provider. Today, we want to dive into a few of the specialized scopes we know if outsourced to a third-party contractor, it can greatly impact the cost efficiency, timeline, quality, and risk associated with developing large-scale solar projects.
Commissioning
Commissioning ensures that a system is installed as designed and will function as intended. It involves system inspections, performance and safety testing, and reassurance that all components meet design specifications and industry standards. It is an essential step before the construction process can be completed and be accepted. Not only will a 3rd party commissioning contractor have the skills to perform commissioning in a timely and effective manner, but they are also an unbiased review of the overall quality and performance of a site and can often mitigate issues before construction is completed and the site becomes operational.
QA/QC
QA (Quality Assurance) refers to the systematic process of making sure a project is adhering to a certain standard throughout its life cycle, and QC (Quality control) focuses on identifying (reporting) and remediating the shortcomings found along that process. This requires a contractor that is both experienced in solar construction, with the components installed, and industry standards, as well be able to report and document their findings in the field. Sometimes a 3rd party provider is a better fit for this role, as they an unbiased role, can report back to individuals not in the field, and ensure a great level of safety, quality, and construction efficiency on site.
Specialized Testing
At many phases of the project, a wide variety of testing may be needed on the many components of the system. It is essential before a site becomes operational, that all components operate efficiently and safely. Although, a lot of the testing may be done during the commissioning phase, if commissioning is being done in-house, it may be needed (or wanted) for specific testing to be done by a third-party provider to hit project deadlines and keep the construction crews moving forward on the project. Some services a 3rd party contractor may be able to provide are thermal imaging of essential components, drone thermal imaging, VOC testing, IV Curve Tracing, insulation resistance testing, voltage testing, and more. The documentation of this testing will also be essential for parties involved in the project, such as project owner/investor.
3 Main Benefits of using a 3rd party provider for commissioning, QAQC, and testing services
Outsourcing these crucial services to third-party contractors can provide a range of benefits to solar developers and project owners.
1. Specialized knowledge and expertise
2. Unbiased testing and reporting for all parties involved
3. Increased efficiency on-site and project milestones being met
Outsourcing services to a third-party contractor is an effective strategy for solar developers to increase efficiency and quality of project outcomes by using expertise knowledge, getting unbiased testing and reporting, and hitting important project milestones
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