The zero emission future of solar park construction and maintenance

Typically, during the build phase, construction works are powered by a diesel generator and diesel-powered vehicles as no grid connection is yet available. By using a mobile battery instead, the emissions that would usually arise from running a diesel system have been removed.

A Voltpack Mobile System is a mobile battery which has been designed to replace a diesel generator. By combining this mobile storage solution with the power generated by the solar arrays in construction, the Voltpack Mobile has the capability to provide all the power needed at site for the construction as well as recharge electric construction vehicles.

Such innovative solutions would enable Alight to gradually reduce the usage of diesel fuel and hence eliminate a source of carbon emission during the construction process of solar power plants. It is hoped, and expected, the success of this trial can be scaled across other solar parks, and adjacent sectors, as the renewable energy sector looks to perfect its supply chain, and as heavy polluting industries transition to sustainable power sources. For example, the technology could possibly perform the mounting of the panels – the most energy consuming activity of building a solar park.

Harald Överholm, Alight CEO, says: “For the future of the grid, its evolution, and for bold goals to be achieved, we must continue in our pursuit of green innovation. Solar will underpin the global economy and our power demands for years to come, and therefore it is essential we optimise the process by which we harness and develop solar power. I have long wanted to remove non-renewables from the supply chain and construction phase, and this collaboration with Northvolt, does just that. As we have seen in our pilot project, Northvolt’s battery capabilities can enable us to remove diesel generators from our site, and we hope to expand further utilising this option, aiming for a diesel free solar plant construction”.

Elias Afeiche, Sales Manager, Northvolt: “The Voltpack Mobile System is at the core of Northvolt’s mission of enabling the future of energy. The mobile battery unit delivers the tools to our customers that are required for them to transition away from carbon intensive technologies and leap into more advanced and sustainable technologies. The Voltpack Mobile System is very well adapted to construction environments given its robust design, its ability to provide both low loads and very high peaks as well as provide a better environment for workers with no harmful emissions and a lowered noise level during the works”.

Read more in PV Magazine.

About Alight

Alight builds, operates and owns solar projects, onsite and offsite, offering better power to large corporations at a predictable, competitive rate. With a focused team specializing in solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), we are dedicated to bringing success to the corporations we partner with through solar power. Alight has 46 solar assets under management or construction and a pipeline of 500 MW across Europe.

About Northvolt

Northvolt is a European supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems. Founded in 2016 to enable the European transition to a decarbonized future, the company has made swift progress on its mission to deliver the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery with a minimal CO2 footprint and has grown to more than 2,300 people from over 100 different nationalities.

Northvolt has to date secured in excess of $27 billion worth of contracts from key customers, including BMW, Fluence, Scania, Volkswagen, Volvo Cars and Polestar, to support its plan, which includes establishing recycling capabilities to enable 50 percent of all its raw material requirements to be sourced from recycled batteries by 2030.