Bluewater streamlines solar panel replacement, recycling in Bermuda

Battery life cycle management company Bluewater Battery Logistics, Los Angeles, recently aided Canadian company Saturn Power with the maintenance, replacement and recycling of multiple solar panels and inverters at Saturn’s installation at an old landing strip at Bermuda’s LF Wade International Airport.

A project case study authored by Bluewater explores how utility-scale solar maintenance may require global access to replacement parts and recycling facilities, spanning three countries, utilizing both land and sea shipping and ensuring compliance with all international regulations.

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The challenge

According to Bluewater, the project involved replacing and shipping a few hundred Znshine ZXP6-TLD72-325 solar panels out or recycling and custom-sourcing similar or matching replacement panels. The company says the replacement panels needed to match or exceed the voltage and power requirements of the existing system, also while being of similar dimensions to ensure compatibility.

Image courtesy of Bluewater Battery Logistics

Additionally, Saturn needed to source Huawei 45-kilowatt inverters, which had been discontinued by the manufacturer for two years by the time of the project, making them difficult to find in new condition. Bluewater says the logistical challenge was compounded by the fact that shipping to and from Bermuda only could be done using 20-foot containers through New Jersey, the primary port for shipments to the island.

The solution

Bluewater began the project by sourcing the replacement solar panels, which the company found in Texas. The GCL panels had a power rating of 370 watts, slightly higher than the existing panels, and dimensions of 1,956-by-992-by-35 millimeters, making them compatible with the existing solar array.

Bluewater also was able to locate the discontinued Huawei 45KTL-US-HV-D0 inverter from surplus stock in Alberta, Canada.

“This required a huge partner network and careful negotiations and vetting to ensure that all components were in mint condition, crucial for the solar system’s performance,” the company writes.

Once the components were sourced, Bluewater says it coordinated the shipping logistics, custom-packaging the new panels and inverters for transport in 20-foot containers. The old Znshine panels were shipped back to New Jersey in the same containers for recycling at a certified plant.

“Managing the entire project under one contract allowed Bluewater to streamline operations and project management on the customer’s side,” the company writes. “They took charge of all necessary paperwork for international shipping, ensuring compliance with regulations across the three countries involved in the project: the United States, Canada and Bermuda.”

A successful outcome

Bluewater notes that the solar project at LF Wade International Airport is a unique installation on an old airport runway currently not in use. A subsea cable is used to connect it to the main grid and feed its 6 megawatts of solar-generated power. The company says inexpensive solutions for solar panel replacement and repowering involving cross-border logistics became key for keeping Bermuda’s airport solar energy affordable and accessible.

“Bluewater Battery Logistics not only managed to source solar system elements matching our unique parameters, including discontinued inverter models, but also handled international shipping and recycling of the old panels,” says Mike Gupta, vice president of operations and maintenance at Saturn Power. “Everything was managed as one project by one team—this is unique in our industry.”

Logistics expertise in action

Bluewater says this case study underlines the importance of logistics efficiency, custom-sourcing specialized components and compliance with regulations for shipping and recycling of energy systems, especially for utility-scale projects like Saturn Power Bermuda with its complex island logistics.

Bluewater President Steve Feinberg says the company “has a truly unique global network of partners and vast experience with international shipping. We make it simple to work with us, keeping the whole project under one contract.”

In a world where renewable energy solutions already are a major part of energy systems, the company says projects such as the one carried out in Bermuda highlight the importance of collaboration and commitment to solar equipment circularity, adding, “Bluewater Battery Logistics is facilitating the global energy transition by making solar technology more affordable and easier to maintain.”