Solar
New Solar and BESS Construction
Customer
- Leading national developer of clean energy solutions
Location
- Central Texas
Ethos Services
Construction Services
- Inspection Services and Third-Party Representative
- Owner’s Representative
- Electrical Inspections
Project Specs
West Project
- 195 MW DC solar; single-axis tracking systems
- BESS: 100 MW, 2-hour system (200 MWh)
East Project
- 200 MW DC – single axis tracking system
Situation Overview
A leading developer and operator of wind and solar power projects hired Ethos as its Site Representative / Inspections Partner for the development of two utility scale solar projects in Central Texas. The work began with the West project, followed by the second project, East, built 9 months later.
These two sites were the developer’s second and third solar projects of this size and complexity. After a challenging experience on their initial utility scale solar project, they contracted Ethos, with whom they had successfully worked on multiple wind projects, to perform mechanical and electrical inspections at the two sites. The Ethos team worked under the direction of the developer’s site construction management team.
The Ethos Solution
With construction nearly complete at the West Project and only the documented punch list remaining, our customer handed the site over to their service and operations team and moved their site manager and Ethos’ inspections team to oversee the construction activity at the East Project. When the general contractor for the West Project was slow to complete the punch list, delaying full normal operations, the service team asked for Ethos to return to the West project site to accelerate and verify progress. During these inspections, additional schedule and quality problems were identified.
The West project then reached a low point when a fire broke out in one of the BESS cabinets. Our customer concluded they needed someone onsite that they could trust. Ethos was asked to expand our team to offer full-time representation to perform inspections until the quality issues were resolved, documentation was complete and the site was fully operational.
The Impact
As is common, the Ethos team successfully completed the work they were contracted for and was asked to take on additional responsibilities back at the West project site to ensure quality issues were resolved to get the solar site fully operational.
Ethos’ Site Representative, the team member who returned to the West project, collaborated with our customer’s service and operations team and the general contractor to plan, prioritize and address the schedule and warranty issues that required resolution. Throughout the next four months Ethos brought valuable knowledge, expertise and continuity to the site, facilitating a successful handoff to the owner’s service team.
The East project went smoothly and both utility scale solar sites were fully operational.
