Renewable energy isn't just growing here in Canada, it's practically exploding as an industry. According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, our country could reach nearly 58 GW of renewable energy and storage by 2035. One look at the University of Alberta's 'Canadian Renewable Energy Project Map' and this growth becomes even more clear.
The demand for clean energy generation, particularly in large-scale solar farms, shows no signs of slowing down. From coast-to-coast the race is on to develop these large-scale infrastructure projects at a pace never before seen.
Unfortunately this rapid growth presents a problem for anyone who is planning, engineering, and ultimately building, solar energy installations.
While the need for solar energy rises, the pace of construction is "undersupplied" in America according to McKinsey & Company. The story is no different in Canada, where the speed of renewable energy development is complicated by a lack of construction capacity.

In the midst of these opportunities and challenges, solar energy companies are seeking strategies to expedite construction timelines in a tough environment. The operators who can install panels faster and connect them to the grid absolutely enjoy a tactical advantage in this increasingly competitive space.
Building solar farms faster, of course, is easier said than done when considering the aforementioned shortages in construction capacity. The big question is, how can we accelerate the pace of construction for solar energy generation and related infrastructure?
There's no single answer to this question, but we certainly have an answer:
Helical pile foundations.
You've likely heard about them before and have maybe even seen them as a foundation solution for large-scale solar energy projects. But what you may not know is the surprising, and dramatic, benefits they can deliver in terms of reduced timelines and land impact.
In this article you'll uncover how engineers, contractors, and companies, are leveraging helical piles to build their solar projects significantly faster and with far less disruption. Could they entirely transform how you build solar?
Keep reading to find out.

A Brief Refresher On Helical Pile Foundations

Where (And Who) Did Helical Piles Come From?

We don't want to get bogged-down in a myriad of nitty-gritty details regarding helical pile foundations.
However, we also do not want to assume that everyone is familiar with this technology and how it functions. So, a brief explanation of what helical piles are and how they work is a great place to start.

The first thing to know is "helical piles" are also known by other names such as screw piles, helical piers, or screw piers. Our team at VersaPile prefers the widely-accepted term helical piles, as it's the most accurate descriptor.

Helical piles were first invented in the early 1830's, by a fascinating engineer known as Alexander Mitchell. Though Mitchell lost his sight in his early 20's, he went on to become a respected self-taught engineer and entrepreneur.

He was inspired to create the helical pile after seeing an interesting screw-plate device that was utilized to anchor ships in harbours. Noting their impressive ability to resist compressive and tension forces even when installed into soft sands or mud, he looked to translate the concept into something that would support a building.

His solution was brilliantly straightforward. Mitchell added a cast iron pile shaft and placed the screw-plate at the bottom, thus forming the first-ever "screw pile" (helical pile). The foundation would soon find wide use under lighthouses, bridges, and piers. Nearly 200 years later, enormous advances in technology allows helical piles to deliver outstanding support for virtually any structure in a huge range of soil conditions.

How Does A Helical Pile Foundation Work?

The function of a helical pile, like many great things, is simple in nature.

One or more helix plates (pl. helices) are attached to a steel shaft, which is typically a pipe although solid square shafts can be used for certain applications. The number and diameter of the helices are dictated by factors such as required load capacity, type of loads, and soil conditions.

As for the steel shaft itself, its diameter and thickness will also vary depending on the project requirements. These can be found in diameters ranging from 5" all the way to over 30", although for a solar panel array you won't need anything quite that large!
Helical piles are, uniquely, installed by rotating them into the ground using a hydraulic drive. These drives can be attached to any hydraulic power source, but excavators and skidsteers are most commonly used. The installation machine provides "crowd" (downward force) to ensure the pile advances through the ground at a consistent rate.

During installation, we monitor the torque required to advance the pile into the ground. These torque figures can be correlated to expected pile capacity using empirical observations established and tested by multiple researchers over the years. Monitoring torque not only ensures the helical piles are installed to spec, they can provide insights into soil condition and composition.
Installing a helical foundation to a precise depth is made simple by using extensions that can be quickly connected to an already-installed section of pile. Once the installed pile and extension are coupled through bolts or collars, rotation resumes and the pile continues turning downwards to the required depth.
But, where does a helical pile derive its load capacity?
Structural loads are transferred down the helical pile shaft and into the helices, which are installed into firm layers of strata. The pressure of the soil on the top and bottom of the helices prevents them from sinking or heaving, even during the harsh freeze/thaw cycles common in Canada.

Skin friction also plays a role in helical pile capacity, particularly as the shaft diameter increases. However, the bulk of capacity will come from the interaction between the helices and soil. Additionally, if a helical pile is installed to till, it will enjoy an increase in load capacity as it bears on solid rock. In these conditions the failure point becomes the pile shaft itself, rather than the helices.
All these factors combine to create a foundation that is easier to install, uses minimal raw materials, and still delivers more than enough strength to support industrial solar panel arrays.

Using Helical Pile Foundations to Transform Solar Energy Construction

Armed with a new, or refreshed, understanding of helical piles, we now have the right foundation (pardon the pun) to appreciate their application for large-scale solar energy construction in Canada.

Typical foundation solutions for solar panels are driven piles, concrete blocks, or ground screws. Each option comes with pros and cons, but we'll cover that in the next section.

For now, let's take a closer look at the use of helical pile foundations for solar panel arrays.

The first thing to know is that this foundation option is not new to the solar industry. For years, both small and large solar installations have been placed on helical piles for residential and commercial applications. In fact, it was a Canadian solar energy farm that set a record for the largest number of helical piles installed on a single project (over 220,000).

A primary reason for the rising adoption of helical foundations in solar energy is their ease of installation compared to alternatives.

Broadly speaking, a helical foundation install follows a straightforward process:

1: Design & Engineering

A crucial phase of any foundation project, proper design and engineering ensures an effective (and economical) result. Factors such as project location, soil conditions, local climate, size of solar array, and environmental considerations, all play important roles in the final foundation plan. Experienced helical foundation contractors will also pursue value-engineering to uncover efficiencies in the design.

2: Mobilization

The equipment required to install helical piles is simple and straightforward. In most instances, an excavator will be used due to the reach and manoeuvrability of their boom/arm. Other equipment may include welding trucks, skidsteers, or additional excavators, depending on the project.
Transporting this equipment is easy and cost-effective, compared to large cranes for driven piles or lines of concrete trucks. Additionally, the helical piles themselves are relatively lightweight to ship and do not demand large amounts of space to store on-site.

3: Site Preparation

Overall, the preparation to install helical piles is minimal as they do not require excavation (unless the pile top must sit below grade). That means the ground is left almost entirely undisturbed, as the piles do not displace large amounts of material. This saves days, even weeks, of prep work that comes with other solutions. It also greatly reduces disruption to the local environment.

4: Helical Pile Installation

Installing a helical pile, as we covered earlier, involves rotating it into the soil at a constant rate using a hydraulic drive. By constantly monitoring the torque exerted on the pile by the drive, installers can assess when the pile has reached the load requirements. If the pile needs to advance deeper to reach suitable soil layers, extensions can be added. On large projects, multiple crews will coordinate to maximize the number of piles installed per day.

5: Finishing Work

There are a limitless range of adapters that can be attached to a helical pile, allowing them to transition to practically any structure. For solar energy, these adapters often employ a bolt-on design that enables the rapid attachment of solar panel legs and their easy removal for maintenance.
However, other configurations such as grillages can also be used to tie multiple piles together for increased strength.

Once the pile adapters are attached, the foundation is ready to accept a solar panel array. Helical piles can be immediately loaded after installation, further boosting the overall speed and efficiency of the project.

It's this easy foundation process that has made many engineers, contractors, and companies, excited to implement helical piles in their solar projects. By reducing the amount of prep work, expediting the foundation install, having real-time performance data on each pile, and being able to immediately build, they can shorten timelines by weeks.

How Do Helical Piles Compare to Other Solutions?

There are several different foundation options in the solar industry, and each brings their own benefits and downsides. While we are, naturally, proponents of helical piles, which foundation is right for your project depends on a range of factors.

This is why we do not claim helical piles are "the best" foundation for every solar energy project.

What we will do, however, is compare helical piles to other common solutions on the market and see how they measure-up.

Equipment Requirements

Site Preparation

Speed of Installation

Adaptability to Difficult Soil Conditions

Impact to the Land

Benefits of Helical Piles for Solar Energy Foundations

Faster Installation

On average, a helical pile foundation is considerably faster to install than other solutions. With far less time spent on site preparation and no concrete to cure, we have seen projects save weeks of time. Considering that each day represents thousands of dollars, or more, on a project it's easy to appreciate how faster progress equals bigger savings.

Minimal Land Impact

Site preparation for a helical foundation is minimal (if not virtually non-existent). As each pile rotates into the ground, it causes practically no soil displacement and minimal underground disturbance. A complete lack of vibrations protects nearby structures and wildlife, while very little noise is produced. Combined with lightweight equipment and simple transportation requirements, you'll find that helical piles are respectful of the land.

High Load Capacity

While compressive load capacity is not usually the primary concern for a solar panel foundation, tension and lateral capacity certainly is. Solar panels tend to "catch the wind", essentially acting as large sails and exerting dramatic uplift and lateral loads on the foundation. Owing to their design, helical piles can well exceed both of these forces and ensure the long-term safety of your solar installation.

Long Lifespan

Sustainability is a key consideration when building a clean energy project, and that includes the longevity of your foundation. As helical piles are manufactured from steel, they offer long-term performance even in saturated or corrosive soils. Special coatings or increased wall thickness can be utilized for tough conditions. Ultimately, a properly designed and installed helical foundation can far outlive any structure it supports.

Easy Remediation

If, or when, the time comes to remove your solar farm a helical foundation will save on remediation costs. Uninstalling a helical pile is an easy and painless process, as they can be reversed out of the ground using the same installation equipment. No messy extraction of driven piles or excavation of old concrete. Plus, owing to their steel construction a helical pile can be 100% recycled once removed.

Accuracy & Quality

The general accuracy and quality of a helical foundation is one of the biggest reasons more project owners, contractors, and engineers, are trending towards this solution for solar energy. Our ability to utilize torque to not only design an efficient foundation, but also to identify and overcome unexpected soil conditions, ensures each pile is installed to specification.

Commonly Asked Questions About Helical Piles for Solar Panels

Summary & Conclusion

It's undeniably impressive to witness a technology invented to solve a 19th-century problem, now offer a solution to our 21st century challenges.

In this rapidly evolving world of solar energy, it's clear that innovative solutions are needed to expedite installation, minimize environmental impact, and secure greater time and monetary savings.

That is why helical piles have emerged as an excellent solar energy foundation due to their quick and easy installation, minimal site disruption, and high load capacities. Their adaptability to widely varying soil conditions, paired with lightweight equipment demands, has positioned them as a versatile and efficient solution.

Some of the benefits contractors, engineers, utility providers, and solar energy companies, are enjoying include:

At the end of the day, we believe that helical piles invite you to re-imagine your foundation approach for solar energy. For those willing to do so, you can expect to expedite project timelines, mitigate land impact, increase economy, and enjoy results that would be unattainable with other methods.

All you need to do now is get started.

Reading this article was a great way to familiarize yourself with helical foundation technology and it's application for solar energy. But you cannot stop here.

To uncover the exact benefits helical piles will offer your project, get in touch with our team at VersaPile. We have the experience and expertise to fully leverage the power of a helical pile foundation to transform how you build here in Central Canada.