What’s Next in Solar, Part 2 

Ensuring Project Success in Clean Energy Transition

This is the second in a series of blog posts about how Ulteig is serving the solar power industry. In today’s fast-paced clean energy world, relying on a partner that has gained the trust of renewable developers, contractors, owners and utilities is critical to success. In upcoming blog posts, watch for stories and insights about how Ulteig is making a difference in solar power and clean energy.  

Ulteig Here to Help Solar Developers as Industry Grapples with Tariff Disruption 

Challenges and change are not new to the solar industry in the United States. As a fast-growing industry and significant component to help accelerate the Energy Transition, the U.S. solar market is again faced with challenges.   

So, while a small California-based solar panel manufacturer’s petition to the U.S. government that China is circumventing U.S. tariffs is creating a fair amount of angst within the solar industry, to the Ulteig Solar team, the event represents another milestone in the constant evolution of solar adoption.  

“It’s a complex situation, the petition created known and unknown risks to the solar industry in the United States” said Ulteig’s Kyle Smith, Senior Program Manager-Renewables. “As weeks clip by without a determination and clear direction, the stakes grow, and developers, investors and generation asset owners look at options to support their respective business strategies.”  

As a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the Ulteig Solar team is very aware of the solar industry’s concerns with the Auxin Solar tariff petition and the potential immediate and long-term impacts that this particular case could have on the development of solar in the U.S. 

“While this is a disruption for the industry,” said Devin Radovich, Market Development Manager-Renewables, “We also see it as an opportunity for all players, from manufacturers and developers to engineering firms and construction firms, to embrace the challenge and develop new solutions.” 

Ulteig’s Chad Crabtree, Market Director-Renewables, points to the ongoing strength of the solar industry and the long-term prospects for utility-scale solar in the U.S., such as replacing aging coal-power plants with solar throughout the Midwest, a region that’s not always associated with the solar industry.  

“There is a lot of activity that is going on,” said Crabtree. “The market is strong and we’re bullish on solar for the long-term.” 

In the meantime, Ulteig is actively working with its solar clients to navigate the current situation and provide sound advice to keep their projects moving forward. 

“We’re a trusted resource for our clients,” said Smith “Our door is open. In addition to Ulteig’s traditional electrical, civil, structural, system integration and SCADA engineering services, our team members have a tremendous amount of solar development experience and understand the risks and options. Solar developers can come and ask us for advice at any time. We can help them analyze their projects and find technical options to meet their needs and better manage the risks they face.” 

“The bottom line is that there will always be disruptions,” added Crabtree. “We bring an agile, nimble mindset to what we do for our clients. Our clients have goals they want to meet, such as carbon reduction goals. Whatever the challenge is today or tomorrow, we will help our clients find a way to meet their goals through engineering ingenuity and plain ol’ street smarts.”

Learn More about Ulteig’s Solar Power Expertise 

Ulteig supports the development, performance and design of medium to large, grid-connected, solar electric projects including the C&I distributed generation and utility scale markets. In addition to medium voltage collection systems, substation, SCADA, transmission, civil and GIS services, Ulteig also specializes in performance evaluation and plant design including DC collections and pile design. To learn more about Ulteig’s solar capabilities and experience, visit ulteig.com.