Solar is playing a central role in the global push to reduce carbon emissions and move towards net-zero. In 2019, the global solar energy market was valued at $93 billion and is forecasted to reach $244 billion by 2027. This huge growth is being driven by the rising demand for electricity in developing countries, combined with rapid urbanization.
To meet the demand, solar farms are rapidly spreading across the world, with large-scale facilities being created across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and India, to name just a few.
This rapid expansion is leading to increased innovation in the way solar farms are designed, built and managed.
There are clear variations in the way different countries approach cable management — and these differences have potentially far-reaching implications for the performance, efficiency and ongoing management of solar farms in those locations.
String cables are commonly managed above-ground. However, they are often secured using basic tie wraps, rather than full catenary systems. Because tie wraps are not intended for long-term use, they will degrade in a relatively short space of time, leading to failures and increased O&M costs.
In addition, cable ties don’t allow for expansion and contraction of the ground structure, which can cause ties to damage the cable conductor insulation.
For home-run cabling, trenching is still the most commonly employed method, but again, this approach is costly, labor intensive and at risk from unexpected delays.
The alternative is to manage home run cables above-ground, and in the U.S., this is already widely used. However, although it is growing in popularity, this approach is not yet widespread in other markets, such as Europe.
There are many disadvantages to underground cable management, including increased labor and material costs, the time taken to carry out works and the environmental and business disruption caused by excavating and digging trenches.
Regardless of geography and ground type, there is a strong argument for moving all cable management above-ground using advanced catenary systems.
Why switch to above-ground cable management?
Managing cables above-ground has many benefits over underground cabling — namely, speed, cost and ease of access. These advantages apply throughout the life of the site, from initial build through to ongoing maintenance.