Digital automation company Terabase Energy has successfully completed its first commercial project. The company’s Terafab automated construction platform installed 17 MW of the 225-MW White Wing Ranch project in Arizona being developed by Leeward Renewable Energy and constructed by RES.

“This milestone marks a pivotal moment in our mission to accelerate solar power plant deployment to meet the terawatt-scale demands of the future,” said Mat Campbell, CEO of Terabase Energy. “Our partnership with Leeward Renewable Energy and RES has not only validated the efficacy of the Terafab system but also laid the groundwork for future projects. Furthermore, the Terafab system was deployed alongside our Construct digital twin software for managing and monitoring solar power plant construction, demonstrating interoperability of our existing product offerings with physical field applications.”

The Terafab system set several new industry benchmarks at full production: Provided workers with shaded and cooled working conditions to allow for system operation in a very hot desert environment; Completely eliminated the manual lifting of heavy steel tubes and solar panels; Demonstrated labor productivity improvements of 25% compared with manual installation; Enabled 100% return of PV module packaging for reuse by the manufacturer.

“The benefits demonstrated by this project underscore the transformative potential of automation in advancing solar construction practices, enabling us to accelerate and de-risk our project pipeline,” shared Sam Mangrum, EVP of Project Execution at LRE. “As the renewable energy landscape continues to evolve, LRE is commited to embracing cuttng-edge technologies and partnering with innovators like Terabase Energy.”

Will Schultek, Vice President of Construction at RES, noted, “White Wing Ranch demonstrates that Terabase’s technology can drive substantial progress in solar construction safety, quality, cost, and schedule. We are excited about the possibilities ahead.”

News item from Terabase