One-stop approach to project coordination

While the greenhouse expansion and new greenhouse construction project were in the same vicinity, they were under the jurisdiction of two different Investor-owned Utilities (IoUs). This posed a major execution challenge for the overall substation design, since the priorities and overall project approach differed. For example, one utility wanted to build a switching station onsite and feed the connection to the greenhouse, a task that required intensive coordination between Eaton and the utility to ensure the interconnection requirements of the transformers, conduits, etc. were met. 

A key challenge faced in the project was utilizing the existing natural gas-fired generator, which necessitated that the switchgear parallel the generator. This required incorporating different relays and controls to monitor, synchronize and have an effective tradeoff between the utility connection and the generator—the customer would use the generator when the cost of the utility’s electricity was more than the cost of natural gas, to maximize cost savings.

The customer’s continued engagement with Eaton on the greenfield greenhouse project was a testament to Eaton’s successful delivery of the initial greenhouse expansion project and the value-add provided, including:

• IoU: Eaton leveraged relationships and expertise with electric utility providers and knowledge of codes and standards to ensure all controls were properly installed and the interconnection requirements were successfully met.
• Low maintenance requirement: Eaton designed a solution that significantly minimized the need for regular maintenance. The complexity of the system was reduced by avoiding the use of switches, alarms, etc. and instead used a direct burial cable and unit substations with medium voltage fuses that are significantly easier for the customer to operate and maintain.
• Faster deployment and sustainability: Eaton met the customer’s aggressive timeframe, successfully executing the project in 6-8 months, quicker than the industry average. This was possible due to a design-build approach, enabling expedited delivery of equipment.