Switchgear Solution to Reduce Solar Plant Installation Time

S&C Electric Company, a global leader in renewable energy integration, introduced a switchgear solutions package to help solar plants reduce plant installation time and standardize plant designs. The standardized engineering services and switchgear package for the interconnection substation is ideal for solar plants up to 35 MW. With this solution, solar power plants will cut switchgear lead times by up to 60 percent.  The lead time reduction can greatly reduce the time to complete a solar energy project, reducing costs and accelerating return on investment.

“The timeframe from project start to completion can have a big impact on the ROI of a solar energy project,” says Dan Girard, Director of Renewable Energy, S&C. “We combine extensive experience designing collector systems for renewable energy plants with decades of experience developing and manufacturing utility-grade switchgear to provide a total solution that is second to none.”

The solution includes engineering services for the substation and S&C’s field-proven System VI Switchgear. S&C’s System VI Switchgear combines proven gas-insulated fault-interrupter modules based on S&C’s field-proven Vista Underground Distribution Switchgear. Today, these switchgear packages connect hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy to the grid with standardized meters and controls.  System VI Switchgear provides a clean, compact installation, requires minimal maintenance and offers an integral visible gap and grounding switch to provide a higher level of safety for operating personnel.