Mesquite Solar 1
Grounding system study for a utility scale solar
Confidential Client
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United States of America
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2015
170 MWAC.
920 acres in the harsh Southern Arizona desert.
Over 300 inverter systems.
190,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions offset annually.
Challenges
- The plant was experiencing unexpected operational issues after construction was complete.
- These operational issues had a significant impact on the site's energy production.
- A cross-functional team that consisted of Hatch, the constructor, and other consultants was formed to identify potential root causes.
Solutions
- Provided a small team of experienced engineers with unique and specialized skills specific to electrical grounding and large solar inverters.
- Developed a detailed GAP analysis and identified concerns related to system design specifications, grounding grid impedance measurements, fall potential readings, and system modeling.
Highlights
- One of the first utility solar power plants installed in the United States, it is larger than 100 MW with future growth plans to reach 700 MW.
- A complete review of the electrical grounding system design was carried out, which included nearly 500 documents and drawings.
- Unique mechanisms and potential root causes were identified for the problems noted based on specific-to-large solar inverter know-how.
Project numbers
800,000 multicrystalline modules85,000 steel piers
300 US construction jobs
56,000 households powered
700 MW expandable capacity
CAD$399 million CAPEX
20-year power purchase agreement
Services & technologies provided