One PO, One Partner: Simplifying Solar Cable Management

By Becky Malkin

Avoiding Delays is Crucial

Cable management remains overlooked in solar power, yet its impact is so significant it can make or break a project.

For EPCs, understanding the impact of poor cable management and choosing the right supplier is critical to project success.

The difference can be stark: good cable management means quicker installation and fewer issues down the road; bad cable management can mean expensive delays, the loss of tax credits, and higher maintenance costs for years to come. And the same applies to supplier choice: the right partner brings expertise, reliability, and compliance; the wrong one can lead to poor quality components, safety risks, and costly project failures.

While delays to any project are unwelcome, recent legislation has raised the stakes for solar. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act mandates that projects not under construction by July 4, 2026, must be in service by the end of 2027. Failure to meet this timeline could mean losing federal tax incentives like the Investment Tax Credit or Production Tax Credit—often crucial to a project’s financial viability.

Forward-thinking EPCs are turning to their supply chains for solutions. And what they are looking for is a true partnership rather than the standard buyer-supplier relationship.

Why Partnership Matters

What do EPCs value most from their cable supply chain? Well, it all comes down to speed, cost-efficiency, and uncompromising quality—because every project runs on tight deadlines and even tighter budgets. Beyond these fundamentals, EPCs increasingly look for partners who offer expertise and guidance, delivering solutions rather than just products.

In fact, this is the key difference between a supplier and a partner. A supplier can offer its customers a range of off-the-shelf products. Conversely, a partner will listen to the client’s needs and work with them to deliver site-specific solutions.

Another important difference is between product support and true technical support. All good suppliers will offer aftercare. But a partner goes beyond that to provide technical support from the design stage through installation and maintenance.

Added Value

The best partners will provide a range of value-added benefits including full testing visibility and technical support for take-offs. They can offer on-site support with a dedicated cable management liaison to help tackle the challenges EPCs face daily.

This is also an area where size matters. A partner with a global presence will most likely have experience across different geographies, terrains and systems, enabling them to work alongside EPCs and OEMs to overcome challenges, adapt to local regulations, and deliver solutions that keep projects on track.

The best partners not only have deep relationships with EPCs, but also with OEMs. What this means is that their cable management solutions are already specifically designed to fit with the OEM’s structures—and they come with installation guides, approved by OEMs and giving EPCs piece of mind.

Speed, Compliance & Cost Control

In addition, a global partner has the scale and expertise to help EPCs achieve cost and schedule control, as well as compliance.

Partial shipments can really pay dividends. A phased delivery plan helps EPCs to manage cash flow and inventory control, as well as supplying exactly what is required for each stage of the project. For example, catenaries cut to the exact length for each row can be a huge time-saver. In addition, orders can be packed per block and delivered just in time so that sites remain lean and efficient, and an EPC is never left storing excess stock on site.

Of course, when working with high voltages and in such high-stakes projects, compliance is crucial and a knowledgeable partner will understand this. Combinations of products should deliver code-compliant solutions for challenges such as NFPA 70 as well as spacing, derating, and load rating.

Saving the Day(light)

All of this points to the importance of not just choosing a partner but inviting them into the discussions as early as possible.

A good partner can also help you get a project back on track. A great example is the 380 MW Aldoga Solar Farm in Australia. The site used a mini trunk bus system on a specific tracker variation, which meant the use of traditional cable routing was not a viable option, as it created significant pinch points and abrasion risks. These challenges were only discovered late in the program, risking costly delays. The developers brought Gripple onboard to resolve the issues, by developing a bespoke mounting solution.

In total, Gripple supplied 1.1 million metres of messenger wire and 980,000 Cable Mini Hangers, supporting 820,000 solar modules. These hangers were able to accommodate the site-specific design loads on the structures, ensuring secure pile support while eliminating any risk of overload. Gripple also supplied 123,000 custom L-Brackets, precision engineered to integrate with the pre-punched Nextracker pile structure using rivet fixings. This adaptation enabled rapid, low-labor installation that dramatically reduced complexity on-site.

Thanks to the bespoke L-Brackets and the simplicity of installing the Cable Mini Hangers, the contractor was able to complete installation in just 10 months—a full 14 months ahead of the original schedule. This ensured that the project came in under total budget.

Future Innovation

Gripple sees its role very much as a partner and innovator, providing significant expertise in site-specific solutions, technical support, as well as collaboration with EPCs, OEMs and O&Ms.

When choosing a partner, look for one that doesn’t just deliver today’s project—but helps shape the future of solar cable management.

Becky Malkin is Marketing Executive – Solar, with Gripple (www.gripple.com) a leading global provider of solar cable management solutions.

Q1 2026