Avangrid is a leading renewable energy provider, with more than 9 GW of installed onshore wind and solar capacity across the United States. Avangrid hired Black & Veatch to provide engineering and construction services for their 150MWac (202 MWdc) Powell Creek Solar project, located in Putnam County, Ohio.
To achieve ambitious decarbonization goals, Avangrid wanted to field test a sustainable construction fleet without having to build and permit permanent charging infrastructure.
With the forward-thinking support of Avangrid, and Black & Veatch’s innovative BV Con-X, the Powell Creek Solar site became a testbed for sustainable transportation. Black & Veatch deployed six of their modular electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and a fleet of EV work trucks to the project site. (Certain jurisdictions may require permitting. Always check with local jurisdictions before deploying modular chargers.)
EV work trucks reduced the carbon footprint of construction activities, while increasing efficiency and crew comfort. The innovative design of Black & Veatch’s BV Con-X enabled quick and cost-effective deployment at the site:
Modular EV charging skids were manufactured off-site and ready to use within a few hours of delivery to Avangrid’s desired location.
Conduit and cabling were routed inside an integrated wireway, which reduced the need for on-site trenching and decreased the risk of safety incidents.
The standardized design allowed for any number of modules to be combined to adapt to evolving project needs.
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Additional on-site power is often required when deploying charging systems, but Black & Veatch’s BV Con-X uses a dynamic load management system which is a game-changer. This innovative system diverted surplus power from the jobsite trailers to the modular chargers. No dedicated power source was required so no cost was added to the project. To allow energy flexibility and resilience, Black & Veatch designed the modular chargers to integrate on-site renewable energy sources (such as solar, controlled by a microgrid), which could help offset energy costs and provide redundant power. No power generated from the Powell Creek Solar was used.
By the Numbers
Black & Veatch deployed six Chevy Silverado EV trucks for use on the Powell Creek Solar construction site.
The modular EV charging infrastructure hosted six Level 2 (19kW) Blink chargers and offered compatibility with DC fast charging equipment.
Dynamic load management enabled use of charging equipment with existing power.
Although decarbonization was the original intention of deploying EVs, site managers at Powell Creek Solar were pleasantly surprised by other advantages the new truck fleet brought to the project:
More Storage. Due to the absence of a front-mounted engine, the EV work trucks provided significantly more storage for essential construction tools and materials – reducing the number of trips and potentially eliminating the need to haul separate utility trailers.
Tool Charging Capabilities. Construction professionals typically use gas-powered generators to charge hand tools; at the Powell Creek Solar site, crew members could charge their power tools directly from the EV fleet featuring an array of 110V outlets.
Rapid Charging Times. Some team members were concerned that lengthy charging times would reduce productivity on-site, but the modular chargers performed much faster than anticipated. Crew members could either plug in for a full eight- to ten-hour charge overnight, or keep their vehicles topped off with shorter 30-minute charges throughout the week.
These built-in features and convenient process improvements convinced once-skeptical construction crew members that EV trucks benefitted workflows at Avangrid’s Powell Creek Solar project.
“Crews were predictably skeptical of the electric trucks when they first showed up. They weren’t very popular initially, but now that we’ve seen them in action our professionals on site are practically fighting over the keys – especially as the days get hotter because these trucks cool down fast.” – Jeremy Dart, Site Manager, Black & Veatch.
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In our rapidly electrifying world, future-focused companies like Avangrid and Black & Veatch are prioritizing decarbonization. Modular EV charging solutions have proven to be mutually beneficial for greener fleet deployments on similar projects, paving the way for sustainable practices in the construction industry.
As one of the world’s leading sustainability companies, this initiative aligns perfectly with Avangrid’s purpose. We are proud to have partnered with Black & Veatch on this project, helping to decarbonize the construction efforts at our renewable energy projects.
- Daniel Adamczuk, Project Manager, Avangrid
Deployment by Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch’s project team mobilized to the site in October 2023, with construction completion anticipated in April 2025. Since this construction project spans less than two years, the modular EV charging infrastructure will be re-located to the next jobsite for further carbon footprint reduction and process optimizations. Future deployments may be used as interim solutions while permits are secured for more permanent charging infrastructure.
