As more cities and states are turning to alternative, green power sources to meet demand, there has been tremendous growth in the renewable energy market in the United States. To support this growth, the construction of new solar energy facilities, better known as solar farms, has really taken off coast to coast.
“These large-scale installation projects were first prominent on the West Coast, in states known for their hours and hours of sunshine, like California, Arizona and Nevada,” said Kipp Ulferts, corporate accounts representative for renewable energy and utility solutions at Vermeer, “but today, the industry is expanding across the U.S., and as more solar farms are being built nationwide, there’s a lot of opportunity for contractors interested in taking on construction work in this industry — from clearing land and installing utilities to driving piles and erecting frames for the solar panels.”
According to Ulferts, there is an incredible amount of planning and development that goes into building the infrastructure of a solar farm. To gain a better understanding about the different types of work that are needed in this market, the best place to start is by breaking down what goes into constructing a solar farm. Some key aspects of these projects include site preparation, equipment installation and site maintenance. These phases involve a wide range of work, including land clearing, utility installs, infrastructure setup, panel construction, cleanup, materials management, landscaping and ongoing upkeep.
Once you know more about each phase of work, understanding the different varieties of equipment needed to complete the necessary construction tasks is also important. Ulferts added, “Vermeer manufactures a wide range of equipment solutions that are applicable in all of these phases.”
Site preparation
Typically, solar farms are not built on prime property. Instead, they are developed on land that needs quite a bit of work done to it in order to be useable. As examples, in Arizona, these types of sites are out in the desert. In Arkansas, they are out in old rice fields. And in Florida, they are being built in unused pasture lands that are full of weeds and growth. This means that once the land is identified, surveyed and documented, there may be a tremendous amount of land clearing and utility work, as well as civil infrastructure work like building access roads, to do before solar panels can be installed.
The first step in any solar farm project is site surveying and land prepping — essentially, that means clearing the site and making sure the site is ready for construction. According to Ulferts, clearing the land can be quite the process. For example, in certain parts of the country, the site may be covered in thick, dense, bushy vegetation. “A Vermeer FT300 forestry tractor with a rotating mulching head will make quick work of clearing this type of material and opening up the land,” mentioned Ulferts.
In other areas, trees and other debris may need to be removed. “It makes sense to grind this material onsite,” said Ulferts. “In this case, Vermeer whole tree chippers or horizontal grinders are good options to use as they can handle grinding large amounts of wood waste efficiently, and because they are on tracks, these machines are extremely mobile to get on and off the site quickly.”
Once the land is cleared, site setup can begin. The first thing to do in this phase of work is to verify that the site has proper drainage and controlled erosion. This may include installing culverts to handle runoff water. According to Ulferts, Vermeer trenchers, such as the T855 Commander® 3 trencher for more dense soils or rocky ground conditions like those found in Arizona, or the RTX1250i2 ride-on utility tractor for use in softer ground conditions like in Florida, can be used to open cut trenches for new lines to be installed.
These same trenchers can also be used to install other utilities, such as laying out the electrical grid on the farm before the solar panels are erected. “Utility installation is critical to the development of solar farms because the solar panels need to be connected to the electrical grid once the infrastructure construction is completed,” said Ulferts. “To link the panels on these new sites to the nearest overhead and underground electrical lines, you need to be able to work in the most rural, remote areas and in a range of ground conditions — from hard rock to clay to cobble. Vermeer track and rubber tire trenchers are purpose-built for these types of applications.”
Ulferts also noted that horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is an effective method for installing utilities on solar farms, as well as connecting the electrical lines to the power grid. “If you need to go under a road or a river, or if you need to cross an existing pipeline or soggy wetlands, Vermeer drills may be a more efficient way to connect to external transmission lines or create new connections to electrical substations without significant disruptions to the local environment.”
Once all of the work in this phase is completed, construction of the solar panels’ racking can begin.
Equipment installation
Constructing the actual solar panels is a several-step process according to Ulferts. First, the piles need to be laid out on the ground and then driven into the ground. Second, the racking needs to be assembled to the piles. And finally, the solar panels can be assembled on the racking.
Precision is very important to be as efficient as possible in the equipment-installation phase. Early in this process, this means the piles and racking need to be distributed exactly where the solar mounts need to be installed. For this task, Ulferts recommended multipurpose material handlers equipped with a forklift attachment to help. On smaller jobsites, Vermeer mini skid steers or compact articulated loaders (ATX) could be used. “These compact Vermeer machines are extremely maneuverable and intuitive/convenient to operate, giving you an effective way to move around the site,” said Ulferts.
Driving the piles that will support all of the necessary racking components can be a pretty involved process. To be most efficient at this point of the project, Ulferts said that pile drivers, like the Vermeer PD10 pile driver equipped with dual-joystick controls and auto plumb features, help reduce cycle times in this phase of work. The Vermeer PD10 also offers GPS capabilities and precision accuracy that will enable you to quickly and efficiently drive the piles.
After the piles are properly set, crews can finish construction of the racking and ground mounts. And once the panels are in place, it’s time to get the site up and running.
Site maintenance
After construction of the solar panels is done and the electric utilities installed, site requirements will often dictate no more hard digging around the farm. If you need to spot check the lines in certain areas, vacuum excavation is a good method to use for soft digging or potholing those very important utilities. “Having a vacuum excavator onsite, particularly a smaller, maneuverable trailer-mounted model, can be handy to help you avoid striking the electrical lines,” said Ulferts.
During the construction process, an incredible amount of wood waste, particularly from the pallets that the equipment came in on, is created, which then needs to be cleaned up and managed, requiring a considerable amount of equipment muscle to handle. This opens up a big opportunity for you to recommend processing and recycling the organic waste using Vermeer tub grinders and horizontal grinders, turning it into useable commodity, said Ulferts. “Once the mulch is produced, Vermeer mini skid steers and ATX machines could be used to spread bedding underneath the solar panels or to load the trucks that take the wood waste to the dump.”
Equipment provider
Ulferts noted that as the world moves toward using greener and cleaner sources of energy, solar is the business of the future. And as opportunities to build and maintain these solar sites continues to surge, quality equipment is needed to keep up with the quick pace of equipment installations. One thing that will greatly contribute to your success when constructing a solar farm is partnering with an equipment manufacturer you trust and can count on.
“Another important consideration when getting into this market is the equipment manufacturers you choose to do business with,” said Ulferts. “Since many solar farms are installed in rural areas, you need an equipment partner that can support you even in the most remote parts of a state.”
To address the specific equipment needs of this industry, Vermeer offers a complete portfolio of equipment and support solutions, including an extensive dealer network, that can give you the utmost confidence to meet the demands of today’s project sites while building the infrastructure for tomorrow. He finished, “You get that with Vermeer and its dealer network. No matter where your crews are working, there will be Vermeer folks within a few hours, ready to provide you with the highest level of service and equipment support. We’re just a phone call away.” For more information about Vermeer land clearing, utility and solar equipment solutions, contact your local Vermeer dealer.
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