Renewables
Supporting Solar and Wind Farms
When we talk about civil renewables, we are referring to the civil engineering aspects of renewable projects. We have experience working on numerous renewable energy projects including PV Plant installations ranging from 5MW to 30MW. We are able to provide a full turnkey package for all of the electrical/civil aspects of the project to allow seamless progression through to completion.
BESS
BESS stands for Battery Energy Storage Systems. When it is a very sunny day, solar farms produce lots of energy. On windy days, wind farms will produce a lot of energy. However, this may not be at the right time of day to suit the usual energy consumption. For example, it is more likely that the UK uses far more energy in the winter and in the evening as it is dark and cold. A solar farm will not be producing any energy when it is dark. Therefore, a battery storage system has been designed to store any extra energy that is produced. The energy is then fed back into the national grid from the battery storage system when it is needed.
Solar
Our solar renewable services involve the construction of a solar array, which is also known as a solar park or a solar farm. This is a vast expanse of solar panels which will harness the sun’s energy and feed it back into the national grid or other private electricity networks. The electricity will be used by consumers in the regular way, reducing the demand for electricity that is currently generated by fossil fuels.
Here are some examples of civil engineering tasks that are required on solar farms:
- Design Assistance – we offer advice at the design stage to overcome issues which have arisen on previous projects
- Utility Searches and GPR Surveys – We reach out to all utility service providers and collate records of their assets. These are then assessed so that we can plan to avoid them whilst digging up the ground. A CAT and Genny and/or GPR (ground penetration radar) is used to scan the ground and identify underground service before we dig
- Setting Out Site – Using Trimble GPS equipment, the latest design drawing can be uploaded into the GPS equipment, we can then use this to mark on the ground where an item is to be constructed. For example we can upload the design which is a drawing of a trench and cable route. The route can be marked out on the ground using spray paint or flags. It is just like drawing the design on the actual construction site floor
- Access Entrances and Site Roads – Managing traffic on busy roads whilst a new site entrance is constructed. Constructing roads, excavating unsuitable material from the ground with excavators, transfer of the material to a different part of the site or off site with dumpers and lorries, forming the sub base to the shape of the road, laying membrane, importing and laying MOT type 1 and other road construction materials. The materials are then compacted to make up the road surface
- Substation Plinths – This is a large concrete foundation for a heavy substation. The concrete base has to be formed carefully to include any steel reinforcement, earthing and duct entries. Sometimes a pre fabricated base will be used and this will be lifted into place. Generally we will excavate a hole. Build formwork out of timber and position the ducts and steel within the formwork. Concrete is then poured inside and left to set. The formwork is then removed leaving a concrete substation base
- Cable Pulling – The use of winches, cable drum stands and trailers to pull cables into trenches and ducts
- Reinstatement – This is the task of returning the ground back to the condition it was in before we started
Trenching & Cable Install
This is the process of excavating the trenches. Once we have completed that, we then place ducts into the trenches ready for the cable. Next, we pull the cables through, but sometimes we lay the cables directly into the ground. This depends on the circumstances of the individual project and its requirements.