Utility-scale solar pile installation work in sequence: pre-construction load testing, then rock drilling and pile installation, then production QC testing.
Utility-scale solar depends on thousands of piles, each one in tolerance and on schedule. As a utility-scale solar pile installation contractor, XCEL supports solar EPCs, engineering firms and tracker/racking OEMs in the order the work happens.
Pre-construction pile load testing gives the Engineer of Record field data to design with. Where piles hit rock or refusal, our rigs drill ahead of the pile line, and our crews install the piles to spec. Production QC testing closes it out.
Trusted specialty subcontractor to top-tier utility-scale solar EPCs, general contractors, engineering firms and tracker/racking OEMs.
Uplift, lateral and compression tests on test piles for fixed-tilt and tracker systems. The Engineer of Record (EOR) gets the data to optimize embedment and pile design by zone. Pre-Construction Testing
Our crews use Topcon GNSS RTK over UHF radio to lay out pile locations from the EPC's project control.
When rock, caliche or cobbles cause refusal, our Epiroc rigs pre-drill so piles reach embedment by the approved method, ahead of the pile line or as remediation. Rock Drilling
Production pile installation for tracker and fixed-tilt systems, to embedment, reveal and plumb. Pile Installation
Load tests that verify installed piles meet design loads, reported to the EOR. Production QC Testing
Since 2024: 1.7+ GW and more than 400,000 holes drilled at 6" to 10", including 104,000+ holes on a single 350 MW project. See the projects
On rocky or variable sites, pile refusal stops the pile line, leaves racking crews waiting and drives up remediation costs. XCEL runs one of the largest Epiroc surface drill fleets in the Southern US, so we can put multi-rig pre-drill spreads in front of your pile drivers. Drill and install with one subcontractor, and refusal becomes a line item instead of a delay.
Solar pre-drilling since 2019, with hole diameters from 4" to 10" across utility-scale projects.
When installed solar piles need corrective work, XCEL provides the drilling, working to the remediation plan set by the EPC and the Engineer of Record. We've drilled for pile remediation across multiple projects in the South Central, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. Tell us what the plan calls for and we'll match rigs and hole size to it.
Over 20 GW of utility-scale solar pile load testing since 2018, on projects typically 100 MW to 600 MW. Major EPCs and leading tracker OEMs trust us on some of the country's largest utility-scale solar projects.
Solar sites put pile drivers, rigs, racking crews and electricians on the same ground. Zero recordables and TRIR 0 since 2015. Every employee holds MSHA 48, OSHA 30 and CPR/First Aid, and 15 OSHA 510 holders are on staff.
We cover the solar pile installation work in sequence: pre-construction pile load testing, rock drilling ahead of the pile where the ground requires it, pile installation, and production QC load testing. Our crews handle GPS layout for their own work. Behind it: 20+ GW of utility-scale solar pile load testing and more than 400,000 holes drilled since 2024.
Yes. We run pre-construction load test programs for tracker/racking OEMs and engineering firms, so the Engineer of Record can design the project from real field data. We're also a trusted specialty subcontractor to EPCs, installing piles to the tracker or racking OEM's tolerances for location, reveal, plumb and rotation.
Yes. Where the geotech shows rock, we pre-drill whole blocks ahead of the pile drivers. Where piles hit refusal unexpectedly, we pre-drill as remediation, by the engineer's approved method. Since 2024 we've drilled more than 400,000 holes across 1.7+ GW of utility-scale solar, at 6" to 10".
Our fleet and crews are built for utility-scale programs. Recent pre-drill projects ran 150 MW to 350 MW, including 104,000+ holes on a single 350 MW site, and our load testing work covers over 20 GW since 2018, on projects typically 100 MW to 600 MW. Tell us your MW, pile count and schedule.
Send the geotech, pile plan and schedule. We respond to every quote request within 24 hours.