Function
Buildings, access and security provide physical protection and security for the onshore electrical equipment that connects the wind farm to the onshore transmission network.
What it costs*
About £13 million for a 1 GW substation.
Who supplies them
Buildings: any provider with a suitable track record of constructing architect-designed industrial buildings can respond to a tender to construct the building and compounds.
Access and security: industrial fencing, security including CCTV, access control systems, industrial LV systems, HVAC (short for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) will be put out to tender and can be supplied by any pre-qualified supplier.
Key facts
The buildings and associated compounds are custom designed to suit the specific technical and planning requirements of the project.
For an HVAC substation, indoor space is required for housing some of the switchgear, monitoring systems, and associated LV systems and welfare facilities for visiting technicians. Often about the same area of outdoor space is required for compounds for outdoor HV switchgear, termination of HV overhead lines, storage, and car parking.
For an HVDC substation, indoor space, typically at least two storeys high, houses the HVDC converter, monitoring systems, and associated LV systems and welfare facilities for visiting technicians. Outdoor space is also needed for compounds for outdoor HV switchgear, termination of HV overhead lines, storage, and car parking.
What’s in it
- Monitoring systems
- Auxiliary and LV system
- Welfare facility