Knobelsdorff partnered with customers in the early days of renewable energy development, and our capabilities have grown rapidly to meet the challenges of this booming marketplace. Solar, biomass, battery storage and electric vehicle charging stations are among a few examples of projects we have handled. In fact, we have completed more than 80 solar installations since 2017. In 2019, KE was ranked as Minnesota's #1 solar contractor.
Knobelsdorff can handle renewable energy projects from beginning to end or provide specific services. Most contractors provide only engineering and procurement and then subcontract the construction.
We do all three in-house, no subcontractors.
With the tremendous growth in the solar industry nationwide, KE continues to grow with this market segment providing our capabilities and expertise to new and existing customers and staying on top of technological advancements. Solar installation offers many benefits, especially when working with an experienced provider. KE offers utility-scale and distributed generation solar EPC services having successfully completed and commissioned more than 80 solar projects in the Midwest.
The KE team has been there, done that. We’ve designed the layout. Procured panels. Constructed sites. Maintained operations.
Our energy team is built on our company’s value of always doing the right thing for our customers and our people. We have developed a strong relationship with preferred subcontractors through numerous successful solar installations. These relationships proved to be crucial when providing EPC services (mechanical, electrical, civil construction and commissioning) on project portfolios. Through a portfolio of projects, KE can efficiently plan, procure and budget for our customers. By collaborating with our trusted and valued partners, we quickly strategize and execute efficient and safe solutions.
Community Solar Gardens look just like every other solar array out there. However, they operate a bit differently. Centrally located in communities, community solar gardens produce electricity for participating subscribers, allowing residents to benefit from a solar PV system without having to install on their own. KE works with developers, owners and utilities to safely build and commission community solar gardens, building more than 200 MW in Minnesota alone.
Work isn’t complete after a site is commissioned. After building a site, KE’s O&M team manages and maintains numerous sites nationwide. Solar operations are to produce an adequate return on investment, they must be consistently 99% efficient. This means they must be closely monitored, and any issues must be immediately addressed.
Our site managers are also electricians, so they not only uncover issues but also fix them. This allows for a quick turnaround and little loss of efficiency, even when problems happen. We know solar operations from beginning to end and perform all functions, including testing and commissioning. We can see if a panel is not working to its full capability. If there is a defect, we know how warranties work and manage the claims process. As a full-service operator, KE provides spare parts management, including storage, receiving and shipping. This capability has proved to be very important due to supply chain issues – because we stock spare parts, we don’t have delays when they’re needed.
We continue to monitor the sites and provide a monthly report unique to the industry. It includes total production of each invertor, total downtime based on an outage, full visitor and operator logs, dedicated remote monitoring and dedicated 24/7 service technicians.