As a whole, the United States produced 13.2% of its power from renewable sources in 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. At the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, 81 U.S. companies signed the American Business Act on Climate pledge. These companies operate in all 50 states, employ more than nine million people and represent a combined capitalization of more than $5 trillion.
In addition, with the recent five year extension of the Public Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Bloomberg News is reporting that the wind and solar markets could see a 56% boost. This increased confidence in renewable energy has inevitably spurred the construction of these farms.
Telescopic boom crawlers are uniquely poised to take advantage of these construction projects as they are better suited to the environmental challenges these projects present. Two recent projects have shown these cranes are durable under wind conditions and are built with enhanced features that increase job efficiency.
MLC650 Increases Efficiency on Texas Wind Project
Recently, Minneapolis based Mortenson Construction was contracted to construction 91 wind tubines at SunEdison’s South Plains II wind farm in Lockney, TX.
The company chose to use the Manitowoc MLC 650 Lattice-Boom Crawler Crane and became the first company in North America to use the crane with both a VPC-MAX attachment and luffing jib.
“The MLC650 is generating results above and beyondwhat we expected,” says Steven Klatt, crane manager with Mortenson. “With the VPC-MAX and luffing jib we only have to make one-fourth of the lifts that would have been necessary with previous generations of crawler cranes. This has dramatically reduced the preparation time needed for this project.”
On this project, Mortenson is using a new wind turbine construction method that would not have been possible with previous generations of crawler cranes, according to Klatt. It’s building the 194-ton wind turbine assemblies on the ground first, and then lifting the entire unit 300 ft. into the air before attaching it to the top of the tower. This allows assembly of the unit much faster than in the air, reducing the number of picks and the impact of wind on the project. If not for the 770-ton capacity and 357-ft. reach of the VPC-MAX and luffing jib combination, this manner of assembly would not be possible, Klatt said.
“With this crane configuration, not only are we much more efficient, we can better control the quality of the turbine assembly. Building it on the ground instead of in the air is much easier, and the VPC-MAX gives us more radius to work with,” he said. “It also enables us to do just one pick versus four – that’s pretty powerful. At Mortenson we have a commitment to lean innovation, and minimizing critical picks aligns with our goal of driving waste out of
the construction process."
When completed, the South Plains II Wind Farm project will generate 300.3 MW of electricity.
Grove GHC55s Enables New Solar Panel Assembly Technique
Meanwhile, in Uvalde, TX Motenson was also busy lifting and assembling 10,000 solar units on the Alamo solar farm project.
Traditionally, solar panels have been constructed by adjoining several 2 ft by 3 ft modules, each requiring a separate lift. To complete this project, Mortenson rented three Grove GHC55s Telescoping Crawler Cranes.
The GHC cranes operate with 100% pick and carry capability, increasing efficiency on the jobsite. This allows Mortenson to combine 15 or 20 modules together on a table and then carry them into place to lift about 20 ft in the air for installation. The heaviest picks weigh up to 3.5 tons.
“We have chosen these telescoping boom crawlers because as a rule, Mortenson will not pick and carry loads on cranes with rubber tires — especially on a remote job site with off-road terrain,” Klatt says. “With 100% pick and carry, we can prefabricate the solar panels and run the cranes back and forth from the trucks to where they are placed on the solar farm."
Mortenson also chose the GHC55s because it's able to withstand winds up to 30mph, which is important on the remote locations where these farms are built.
In total, the Alamo solar farms will produce some 400 MW of electricity, create 800 jobs and contribute $700M to the economy.
"With the extension of the PTC and ITC, we're already seeing decreased uncertainty in the market," Klatt finishes. "This should help increase businesses for companies like us that work in renewable energy construction."
