Renewable Solar

Renewable solar energy relies on effective infrastructure to connect solar installations to the grid and maintain operations. Horizontal directional drilling plays a crucial role in connecting the power grid before, during, and after the solar installation process.

Renewable solar energy refers to electricity generated from sunlight through technologies such as photovoltaic (PV) panels or concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. Solar energy is considered renewable because it is derived from the sun, a virtually inexhaustible and sustainable energy source. Both methods of renewable solar require a system of conduits and cables to connect the solar farms to the power grid. By drilling horizontally under obstacles such as roads, rivers, and existing infrastructure, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) allows for the installation of cables without the need for disruptive trenching.

In most cases, the solar panels are put in place prior to the installation of associated cabling. This can make it difficult to install the necessary conduits due to the space constraints associated with the proximity of the panels to each other.

Through HDD, the drill rig can be set up in an area that is safe and out of the way of site activities, yet can still install subsurface conduits with accuracy and precision. Drilling can continue without interrupting site activities on the surface, thus limiting delays to the timeline associated with cabling installations.

Horizontal directional drilling helps protect infrastructure during maintenance, ensuring that buried cables and conduits are secure and easy to access when needed. This is crucial for long-term operations as it reduces the risk of damage to the infrastructure and minimizes downtime during repairs. This is particularly useful in environmentally sensitive or challenging areas, where many renewable solar farms are installed, such as wetlands. The cabling can be installed without the need to dig long, continuous trenches. In addition, surface-level restoration and associated costs are significantly reduced.

Whether the cabling lengths are a couple of tens of feet or hundreds to thousands of feet, HDD is a clean and precise method to connect the power grid.