Having recently been involved in the construction of a solar farm in multi-megawatt range there are few things I've observed....
1. Tracking system - Mechanical Installation
There are two major companies I'm aware of - Array Technologies & NEXTracker.
For the Mechanical tracking system installation, efficient systems for installing the tracking system exist - both the above companies having multiple GW worth of systems installed optimized on how the mechanical installation is undertaken.
There are not that many mechanical components & once the team is trained up to install each component & robust quality management systems are in place, mechanical installation becomes a well oiled machine wherever I've seen it underway.
2. Inverters & cabling - Electrical installation
This is my area & although this may sound like a whinge, it's more a "I think there could be a better way to do this" comment.
Essentially there is a choice between a string inverter - these are not much bigger than the units used domestically - and a central inverter - these are shipping container sized units, 40 foot shipping containers for the big arrays.
There is an article here about central vs string inverters
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/why-mega-solar-projects-are-turning-to-string-inverters?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: GreentechMedia (Greentech Media)#gs.ufr6neQ
No-one that I'm aware of, and I'm talking all of the major EPCM contractors who are installing utility scale solar, have yet figured out the most efficient way to do the electrical installation.
If I was to pick a technology, it would be String inverters - whoever does this first & gets it working well, will become a leader in utility scale solar IMO. Having run the electrical installation, the list of reasons why this would beat central inverters for time to install & long term O&M/availability is easily quantifiable.
If I was asked to pick a tracking system it would be NEXTracker. Not just because their system has a couple of advantages over ATI - think modular parts easily replaceable, but mostly because of this :->
NEXTracker Introduces Lithium-Ion and Vanadium Flow Energy Storage Systems for Smarter Renewable Energy Production
https://www.nextracker.com/2017/12/...tems-for-smarter-renewable-energy-production/
There could be an extraordinary opportunity for TNG here to partner with an extremely well known tracking system supplier to build a large scale system for their mine. And with their contacts the world over in the utility solar farm game, potentially supply value added products to them in the form of vanadium electrolyte.
Lastly, if CCE focus on electrical constructability integrating vanadium flow batteries into a solar PV system to supply power to a mine at the levels above, the opportunities are literally limitless.
Why?
Everything I've mentioned above follows a modular design approach. You want a smaller farm - build less modules/blocks. Bigger farm, more modules/blocks. Or do it by installments - build a few blocks each year as you can afford it.
Not that I expect my opinion will make it to TNG/CCE, but there it is anyway.
