The Solar Farm Under the Moon
By Byron Blanchard, Instrumentation, Controls & Electrical Superintendent

Power generation is a 24-hour operation that uses dynamic energy sources and sometimes requires our staff to work odd schedules. Examples are shift workers and callouts for unexpected maintenance or off-hours.

Recently, our instrumentation and control electricians, known as techs, performed scheduled night work at the Kōloa Solar Facility.

Solar panels can’t be turned off when the sun is shining on them and, unless severely damaged, they register a voltage. Many solar systems can be isolated on the positive or negative side of the circuit. However, the Kōloa project has a unique design. The panel arrays are wired in a series to produce around 900 volts between their positive and negative terminals. The positive side of the circuit is fused and can be isolated at the fuse holders. The negative side can’t be isolated and always registers voltage while the sun shines.

Last fall, our techs found two burnt fuse holders that are used to isolate the positive side of two-panel arrays. Due to the design of the circuit, it was impossible to safely replace them while the panels were producing a voltage. Because safety is always our No. 1 priority at KIUC, the plan to tackle this problem was to replace the fuse holders at night while the panels would not be producing a voltage. Once the fuse holders were replaced, the techs were able to troubleshoot the circuit and look for the cause of the burnt fuse holders.

We appreciate and commend all of our workers for keeping safety in mind while working hard to keep the lights on. In our industry, it takes a great deal of knowledge and experience, which our staff showcases every day.

Pictured: Techs Mike Young, Nelson Andres and Seaton Farias repair solar panels at night; Kōloa Solar Farm at night.