NorthFace Solar

Project Progress Series – Part 3: Building the Ground-Mount Infrastructure

Commercial solar projects are built from the ground up - quite literally.

As our 440 kWp agricultural solar project has progressed, the focus has shifted from the equipment room to the infrastructure that will support the PV array for decades to come.
Long before the first panel generates electricity, there is a significant amount of engineering beneath the surface.

This phase of the project included:
• Detailed site surveying and layout
• Trenching for underground electrical services
• Installation of underground conduit routes
• Construction of the ground-mount support structures
• Installation of the DC combiner boxes
• Mounting of the PV modules

Each stage may appear straightforward on its own, but together they form the foundation of a reliable, maintainable solar power plant.
It's easy to focus on the finished array, but the long-term performance of any commercial installation depends just as much on the civil works, cable management and construction quality that are eventually hidden from view.

Seeing the array now taking shape has been a rewarding milestone for the entire team, and we're looking forward to the next phase as the DC and AC systems come together ahead of commissioning.

Swipe through to see the progression from survey and trenching through to the completed ground-mount array.

Battery systems are usually represented as simple blocks on a single-line diagram. On site, the reality is very different.

At this stage of a 440 kWp agricultural solar + storage project, the focus shifts away from civil works and toward system integration.

The project includes:
• 440 kVA of inverter capacity
• 816 kWh of battery storage
• dedicated AC infrastructure designed specifically for long-term maintainability and protection.

Once equipment starts arriving on site, the real engineering challenges become far more practical:
• equipment positioning and access
• cable routing and segregation
• thermal management
• protection from dust and weather
• future serviceability of the installation

On larger systems, these details often determine how reliable and maintainable the plant will be years down the line.

The next phase is completing the ground mount structure and DC infrastructure connecting the solar field back to the AC room.

Curious how others approach long-term serviceability and equipment access on larger BESS installations.

The reliability of an energy system is often determined long before the first panel is installed.

We are currently building a 440 kWp solar system with 440 kVA inverter capacity and 820 kWh BESS for an agricultural operation.

Before any panels go up, the infrastructure must exist to support it.
On this site, that meant constructing a dedicated AC equipment room from the ground up to house the inverter and battery systems.
These rooms are not just enclosures, they define how the system performs over time.

In practice, that means:
• proper structural support for equipment loads
• clean and maintainable cable routing
• protection from dust and weather
• physical security for critical assets
• taylored access and climate control

This part of a project rarely gets attention, but it’s often what determines whether the system remains reliable and serviceable over the next 15-20 years.

The next stage is integrating the inverter and battery infrastructure before the DC array goes in.

Curious how others approach equipment room design on larger solar + storage projects.
Containerised solutions or dedicated structures like this?