Offshore Engineering Services to Help Build and Optimize Solar PV Plants

Solar PV plants deliver some of the world’s cheapest power quickly and effectively to established and emerging economies. Floating solar PV plants help reduce evaporative losses. Solar power combined with battery systems delivers dependable power at a utility scale. As solar technologies continue to evolve, it is undeniably disrupting conventional thinking regarding energy planning.

Conversion of sunlight to generate electricity is increasingly gaining popularity as it can counter energy security concerns over fossil fuel dependency, decrease carbon emissions, reduce harmful emissions that contribute to climate change, and help secure energy costs to achieve financial and environmental sustainability. Likewise, solar projects are less demanding to execute than large hydro, nuclear, and most thermal power ventures. Importantly, they help alleviate some of the burdens of delivering much-needed power to underdeveloped or remote areas with minimal access to power.

We at Zigron offer Solar PV engineering services, with over ten years of experience with solidifying solar foundations. Our Solar PV Engineers offer services ranging from engineering drawings, wire schedules, PVsyst, solar feasibility studies using AUTOCAD, and other design programs. Zigron’s solar engineers are always up to date with emerging technologies. Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Full set electrical drawings for utility and commercial scale
• Panel system designs
• PVsyst analysis
• Site feasibility studies and surveying

When selecting a suitable installation site, it’s vital to focus on locations that offer easy and straight access to sunlight as it naturally increases efficiency. Our Solar PV Engineers follow best practices to optimize PV designs better to mitigate obstructions and ensure a steady supply of direct sunlight. Below are some of the key mitigation measures Zigron Solar PV Engineers follow to optimize PV panels.

Mitigation measures to Optimize PV Systems

Low Lying Sites

Runoff water is challenging to discharge effectively from the low-lying area, i.e., rainfall with small intensity or small duration can lead to significant flooding. Backfilling the entire site land to avoid flooding can not be economical and suitable for foundations and may take considerable time. Mechanical dewatering (pumping) might be the only option in such a case; however, the cost of the pumping station, fuel/electricity is high. Failure in the pumping system due to any reason may lead to flooding. Therefore, it needs to be verified before planning the mechanical dewatering.

Uniform Outward Slope

In the case of the outward slope, even if a significant external catchment area is governing runoff to the project site – runoff water can be drained outside the project site by gravity. The depth of flooding at such a site may not be significant, or wetness time may not be substantial if it is substantial. However, there is always a chance of waterlogging in local depressions. Local depressions can be treated by cutting and filling to avoid drainage systems. However, if the site is rocky or soil for the backfilling is needed to bring from outside, cutting and backfilling costs can be high.

Highly Mild Slope or Flat Ground 

Due to flat land, there may not be a defined flow path, and therefore, there may not be natural streams at such sites. Consequently, it will be difficult to discharge the site runoff from mild sloping or flat land. Pumping water outside the project boundary may increase the flood significance in the adjacent land and can lead to property damage. Therefore, mechanical dewatering (pumping) may not be feasible to drain the site runoff. In such circumstances, infiltration ponds and trenches may be a solution to examine. Infiltration ponds and trenches may be created in the entire project site at several locations uniformly. This solution may require colossal land, a reasonable soil infiltration rate, high temperature, low humidity, an adequate gap between consecutive rainy days, etc.

Steep Gradient Land 

The provisioning of a drainage system can significantly minimize the flood significance. Drains can be provided with a higher slope and higher velocity on steep gradient land. However, if the external site catchment area is vast and the land has a steep gradient, then massive runoff may govern in a short duration. Hence, drain sectional requirement may increase significantly despite maintaining high velocity. An increase in drainage section and the necessity of good lining material may increase the cost. The cost of a drain at such site conditions may be minimized by providing a detention pond. Runoff water reached the project site from the external catchment area may be collected in the detention pond.

As the outlet to the detention pond will be small, a small section of the drain may be adequate to cater to the discharge from the detention pond. As the outlet to the detention pond will be small and the volume and rate of runoff water entering the detention pond will be huge, the water level in the detention pond may rise rapidly. Therefore, the area and depth of the detention pond may require huge. However, a higher land area requirement for the detention pond may increase the cost. Also, a security fence or barricade is needed to provide all around the detention pond.

Conclusion

Are you working on a renewable energy project and facing the challenge of hiring PV systems, Electrical, Structural, Wind, Project, CAD, or other related engineers? Zigron’s engineers are your best option!

Zigron is a leading global Renewable Energy engineering service partner and a solution provider. We help renewable energy companies develop IoT-based Smart Energy platforms and analyze data with AI/ML. We also provide services around ERP implementation. Alongside, Zigron provides hardcore engineers like Solar PV, Wind, Civil, Geotechnical, CAD, Project, Structural, Electrical, and Estimators. With Zigron, you can accelerate your Renewable Energy pursuit.

Zigron is based out of Arlington, VA, USA, and has more than 150 engineers in Islamabad, Pakistan; and can be your perfect strategic outsourcing/offshoring platform development/AI analytics and engineering partner to optimize your costs and increase your speed to success. If you are interested in exploring us in your upcoming renewable energy projects, please reach out by email at sales@zigron.com or contact +1-412-478-6588. We look forward to working with you.