It’s Tuesday morning in Autumn, and your solar construction crew is on-site – looking into the the foundation holes they drilled the day before. The holes have filled with water due to some unexpected desert thunderstorms. Meanwhile, in the North-East, a crew is on the roof sorting through racking that has been blanketed in snow. What can an EPC do to deal with these issues? Foresight only goes so far as Mother Nature will inevitably bring her forces to bear – much to the chagrin of project managers everywhere.We all know it; weather causes problems. If it’s bad, a Puerto Rican solar array can wind up in the sea or on an adjacent hillside. Force Majeure events aside, storms, wind, heat, and snow can be a troublesome burden and can each present their own obstacles that come between a contractor and their meticulous schedule.
The key to overcoming these issues is agility. Crews need multiple tasks on their docket that can be completed whether or not the weather agrees. This can include completing staging work while it is raining or working on indoor electrical equipment when the installation is blanketed in snow, all while maintaining the flexible subcontractor schedule that allows the crews to remain working towards project completion regardless of what is going on outside.
The contractors that can deal with impromptu weather issues will rise to the top – keeping their deadlines and signing more deals. Soon, they will be the only ones left in an industry that will quickly mature.
If you’re an EPC that can weather the storm, we’d love to add you to our network!
