Expand the growth of community solar with factory-direct systems

Hands Show Light Bulb Ideas Together Partnership

As of Q1 in 2018, there have been 1,023 MW of community solar projects installed across 26 of the 50 U.S. states, with another 3 GW of expansion projected over the coming years. One of the ways this gets easier is by helping Community Solar projects get off the ground faster, with simple installs and the best rate on factory-direct, BoS systems.

Supporting over 8 GW of utility-scale solar, OMCO is a leading, factory-direct mounting systems manufacturer across the U.S. Being a one-source, cost-effective OEM partner, OMCO Solar is changing the speed and cost of construction for community solar, empowering projects from 500 kW to 2,000 kW or more, with its Field-Fast system. Here’s how.

Simple assembly with fewer components

Most solar mounting structures arrive on-site with hundreds of parts to assemble, sometimes more, depending upon the size of the project. But OMCO Solar has taken this paradigm and solved the problem of time-intensive delivery, staging and set up by pre-assembling all the components for their Field-Fast racking system at the factory. What arrives on site is seven pre-assembled components per rack. No other BoS manufacturer can claim that.

It then takes a team of only two installers to assemble seven Field-Fast racks per hour – that’s nearly one completed mounting system assembled every nine minutes. What’s better is that there is no need for any heavy-lifting equipment and there is zero overhead lifting for the installation team. All assembly happens from the ground-level, including panel installation. The required tools have been consolidated too, so there is minimal gear required to aid construction.

Every Field-Fast rack comes with set-up training from OMCO Solar engineering and construction leads at one of their national manufacturing facilities. Can’t make it to the factory? That’s OK. OMCO Solar staff will talk you through via video chat to answer any questions and make sure your team understands everything they need to know to execute a surefire, correct install that will pass inspection. OMCO Solar customer service support is also available to customers during the entire lifetime of the system.

Factory-direct costs community solar projects less

Factory-direct, Field-Fast mounting systems reduce in every area that typically inflates racking costs. From reducing on-site labor size, cutting build-time and radically simplifying ease of installation, OMCO Solar costs community solar projects markedly less at every stage of construction. Plus, the Field-Fast mounting system is ISO-certified as a quality product. Fabricated from high-quality U.S. steel, Field-Fast is always at the ready for builds of any size, distributed straight to the project from OMCO’s closest factory for optimized logistics.

Field-Fast is also fully NEC-compliant, UL 2701 ed. 1 certified, wind-tunnel tested and able to withstand a snow load of up to 90 PSF and winds of 180 mph. Plus, Field-Fast is compatible with any framed solar module, including First Solar Series 6 panels.

What about undulating terrain?

Field-Fast has the adjustability an in-field team will need, right out-of-the-box. Complete with pre-stamped slots allowing connections to adjust to changes in grade, without any extra parts or cutting of the rack, Field-Fast is fully adjustable for construction requiring elevation changes.

In summation

• 35% faster builds than average
• Lowest labor cost per watt in the industry
• Featuring OEM-direct material buys and total turnkey installation packages
• OMCO in-house design & engineering team to assist communitysolar projects

The solar engineering and fabrication experts at OMCO have leveraged over 8 GW of utility-scale experience and 60 years of custom roll-form manufacturing skills to develop Field-Fast. With a proven capacity to deliver for projects of any size, OMCO’s dedicated team knows each project front-to-back and provides technical knowledge that can’t be matched throughout construction, beginning on day one.

Get a higher-quality mounting system for less money for your next community solar project, no matter the program structure via on-bill crediting, utility-sponsored, special purpose entity (SPE) model, or the non-profit, buy a brick model.

Join OMCO Solar at Community Solar Power Summit 2018 in Minneapolis, July 18-19 at the Radisson Blu Downtown. Can’t attend the show? Visit OMCOsolar.com to schedule a call with an OMCO Community Solar Specialist today to learn more.

Jen Degtjarewsky is a guest editor for OMCO Solar.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/solar-tariff/expand-the-growth-of-community-solar-with-factory-direct-systems/]