For solar projects to successfully operate beyond their warrantied lifespans, they must be built correctly and need to be faithfully maintained. Solar contractors that handle both construction and operations and maintenance (O&M) stay with a solar project for the long term to ensure the array is meeting all its milestones.
Greenskies Clean Focus, a Connecticut-based commercial and utility-scale developer, recently completed a solar project seven years in the making. The company’s in-house O&M arm is maintaining an 18.86-MW array in Waterford, Connecticut, that has some unique upkeep requirements.
Credit: Greenskies Clean Focus
“If you don’t have an active preventative maintenance program going around and looking at everything, you are going to have equipment failures, and they are going to be much more serious than if you had caught them in the act,” said Steve Martineau, Greenskies’ director of O&M.
The project, built on approximately 94 acres of hilly land, was interconnected in April 2023. Greenskies is checking the array monthly to keep it operating at its peak.
“It allows us to be proactive instead of reactive,” said Chip Florio, director of project delivery at Greenskies, of the regular maintenance tasks. “If we’re reactive to these problems, it means that we’re scrambling to send people out, and everything becomes a fire drill. Being proactive vs. reactive allows us to better manage it.”
Preventing downtime at the Waterford solar project
A solar project of this scale is on the larger side for Connecticut and the greater New England region. The array is divided into five subsystems with different topographical and shading considerations. The first starts at the highest elevation on the site and the remaining four subsystems follow the topography downhill and then up a proceeding hill. The site was previously heavily logged and some trees unfit for logging had to be removed by Greenskies.
Sections of the land are laden with rock, so Greenskies opted to use a ground screw foundation from APA Solar Racking to work in the less-than-ideal soil conditions. The array also used APA racking and a mix of HT-SAAE and Canadian Solar panels with Yaskawa Solectria string inverters.
Greenskies O&M teams focus on project monitoring and protective and corrective maintenance of solar arrays. Martineau said each crew informs the next department along the maintenance line to keep arrays online and operating in peak condition. On the Waterford project, and every other array under Greenskies’ purview, O&M crews monitor inverter performance and open each unit for inspection at least once a year.
“Everything flows from financial institutions. So, there’s certain expectations that your financing partners have of us in an O&M facility,” he said. “It’s a collection of preventative maintenance and corrective maintenance.”
Heat detection is crucial on electronic components like inverters and switchgears because it can indicate future electrical issues on an array. O&M crews also monitor high-value components like transformers, because one malfunction will cause substantial production losses and take a lot of time to replace.
“In general, your biggest pain points come from those items that have the longest lead times when they fail, so you pay the closest attention to them,” Martineau said.
Prior to interconnection, water breached one of the array’s combiner boxes. Luckily, installers managed to swap the component in time for energization, the ongoing issue of water at the site pertains more to its environment.
Credit: Greenskies Clean Focus
Greenskies had 15 stormwater basins dug out near the project to prevent erosion and water runoff. There are two rivers running near the project, increasing the risk of stormwater runoff entering local waterways.
To ensure the basins are working properly, they were inspected once a week during construction, and they’re now inspected once a month. This monthly inspection routine will last for two growing seasons following the project’s completion in 2023.
“Between the weekly, monthly, and post-construction inspections, stormwater and erosion control measures are frequently overseen by multiple parties to ensure all necessary compliance,” said Florio. “It’s definitely a topic of importance.”
In addition to stormwater concerns, there are two basins on site that are fenced in to prevent local amphibians from laying eggs within. These basins dry out in the early summer, so biologists will visit the project every March to relocate any amphibious eggs to safer ponds. A safety plan was also in place to work around an endangered snake species native to the area.
“Those are outside our normal electrical O&M on the systems, but they’re equally important,” Martineau said.
As an end-to-end solar developer and EPC contractor, Greenskies owns the projects it builds for the long term. Dedicating a segment of the company to O&M of arrays like the one in Waterford ensures inevitable hardware failures are addressed before they happen or before they’re a larger detriment to the system.
“O&M with Greenskies is a front-of-the-mind thought and not an afterthought,” Martineau said. “O&M gets a lot of input into our installation practices, which is a great place to be when you’re a company like us, because we’re not big, but we get a lot done.”
NEW BRITAIN, CT — Stanley Black & Decker on Thursday said it has decided to close its manufacturing facility in New Britain.
Debora Raymond, vice president of external communications for the manufacturer, said the decision is a result of a “structural decline in demand for single-sided tape measures.”
The New Britain facility predominantly makes these products, according to Raymond.
“These products are quickly becoming obsolete in the markets we serve,” Raymond said, via an emailed statement Thursday.
The decision is expected to impact approximately 300 employees, according to Raymond.
“We are focused on supporting impacted employees through this transition, including providing options for employment at other facilities, severance, and job placement support services for both salaried and hourly employees,” Raymond said.
As of Thursday at 4:30 p.m., no Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice had been filed with the state Department of Labor.
The company’s corporate headquarters remains at 1000 Stanley Dr., New Britain.
Gov. Ned Lamont released the following statement on the decision:
“Although Stanley has made the decision to discontinue operations for manufacturing outdated products, a change in workforce opportunities is difficult for employees, their families, and any community.,” Lamont said. “However, I am hopeful that these skilled workers will be repurposed with the help of Stanley Black & Decker, a company that will still proudly be headquartered here in Connecticut. My administration is working closely with local and state leaders to support affected workers and to reimagine the factory site so it can continue to create opportunity and strengthen New Britain’s economic future.”
New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez said he is “deeply disappointed” the company will be closing its Myrtle Street operations.
“For generations, Stanley Works has been part of the fabric of our city, providing good-paying jobs, supporting families, and helping build New Britain’s proud reputation as the ‘Hardware City,’” Sanchez said.
According to the mayor, his office’s immediate focus is on helping affected workers and their families. The mayor has been in contact with Lamont’s office, and they will be working closely to make sure employees have access to job placement services, retraining opportunities and support, Sanchez said.
“We will continue aggressively pursuing economic development opportunities and attracting businesses that are looking for a true community partner, a city ready to collaborate, innovate and grow alongside them,” Sanchez said. “New Britain has reinvented itself before, and we will do so again.”
Stanley Black & Decker, founded in 1843, operates manufacturing facilities worldwide, according to its website. It reports having 43,500 employees globally, and makes an array of products, such as power tools and equipment, hand tools, and fasteners.
Newly released police video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon ram his luxury sports car into the rear end of another vehicle on a Connecticut highway last summer as he was being followed by a state trooper.
McMahon, now 80, was driving his 2024 Bentley Continental GT at more than 100 mph on the Merritt Parkway when he crashed in the town of Westport, according to state police.
A trooper’s dashcam video shows McMahon accelerating away, then braking too late to avoid crashing into the back of a BMW. The Bentley then swerves into a guardrail and careens back across the highway, creating a cloud of dirt and car parts.
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” state police Detective Maxwell Robins asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley, which can cost over $300,000.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No one was seriously injured in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day that WWE legend Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
Besides damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, according to the police video.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. A state judge in October allowed McMahon to enter a pretrial probation program that will result in the charges being erased from his record next October if he successfully completes the program. He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution.
McMahon’s lawyer, Mark Sherman, said the crash was just an accident.
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
State police said Robins was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape — though in the video the detective suggests otherwise.
“I’m trying to catch up to you and you keep taking off,” Robins says.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon says.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The Associated Press obtained the videos Wednesday through a public records request. They were first obtained by The Sun newspaper.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and adds that he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
The videos also show McMahon talking to the driver he rear-ended. Barbara Doran, of New York City, told the AP last summer that McMahon expressed his concern for her and was glad she was OK. She said she was heading to a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard at the time of the crash.
After McMahon was given the traffic summons, he shook hands with Robins and another trooper and they wished him well.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
McMahon bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a worldwide phenomenon. Besides running the company with his wife, Linda, who is now the U.S. education secretary, he also performed at WWE events as himself.
The New Haven Pride Center will close for 30 days starting Thursday, as leaders reassess the organization’s finances and its long-term business model.
Board members said the temporary shutdown will allow the nonprofit to stop accruing expenses and get better insight into a $250,000 IRS debt discovered in 2022 that has weighed heavily on the center’s operations.
According to board co-chair Hope Chavez, the debt was found four years ago. The board let the executive director go and began paying the back taxes. The payments have been ongoing, but Chavez said there’s no clarity on how much has been paid toward principal versus interest, making it hard to map out a payoff.
Chavez said the organization has an attorney to help obtain more details from the government, and that the debt has hurt its ability to generate income during an already challenging time.
“It all depends on the political climate — whether corporate sponsors feel like they can sponsor you, whether funders feel like they need to redirect elsewhere,” she said.
The 30-day furlough will include a pause in services. In the meantime, staff members are compiling a list of alternative LGBTQ-affirming resources in the Greater New Haven area to support community members.
Laura Boccadoro, who has worked at the center for more than six years, joined at what she says was a dark time.
“I was in and out of rehab dealing with drug abuse, and the center found me,” she said. “I grew up here, honestly.”
She said the organization has offered vital services, such as a clothing closet and a food pantry, and programs that she is helping clients find through partner organizations.
“There are so many LGBTQ-specific or affirming spaces that have food pantries, clothing closets, healthcare — all those kinds of things,” Boccadoro said.
Chavez highlighted partnerships with groups including AIDS Project New Haven, Anchor Health Initiative, and Q Plus, as well as other grassroots community organizations that will offer assistance during the pause.
Boccadoro emphasized that the staff’s focus remains on serving the community as effectively as possible.
“Our job at the end of the day is to impact the community in the best possible way that we can,” Boccadoro said.
The Board hopes a clearer financial picture and a restructured business model will position the center to reopen stronger and more stable.
“We want to ensure that our community has the care and supportive services that we’ve been providing,” Chavez said.
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