If auxiliary power is an afterthought, you pay high night-time import charges, lose SCADA and security during outages and struggle to restart after a blackout. A firming turbine that cannot start because its own auxiliaries have no supply turns a short outage into a long one, with lost output and revenue.
USP&E Helps You Design Auxiliary Power That Never Lets You Down
We understand that auxiliary systems are easy to overlook and costly to fix later. USP&E has delivered 150+ power projects in 45+ countries, with 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and our 400+ engineers and project managers design, build and operate hybrid plants with every supply path planned. Our systems are ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified, and every deal runs under FCPA and OFAC controls. USP&E is a full-service EPC and O&M contractor, not a broker.
You do not need to oversize everything. You need a clear list of auxiliary loads, the right supply for each condition and a tested plan for starting the plant after a blackout.
List Every Auxiliary Load and When It Runs
List the loads your plant needs: trackers, inverter and transformer cooling, SCADA and communications, security systems, lighting, control buildings, water systems and the gas turbine’s auxiliaries such as lube oil pumps, fuel systems and enclosure ventilation.
Note when each load runs: day, night, during outages and during start-up. Trackers move to stow positions in storms. SCADA and security must run without a break. Turbine auxiliaries must be powered before the turbine can start.
Group loads by how critical they are. Critical loads need uninterruptible or backup supply; others can wait for normal power to return. Our hybrid plant designs start with this list.
Choose Supply Paths for Day, Night and Outage
Decide how each group is supplied. In daylight, solar output can carry auxiliaries. At night, the grid, batteries or the firming turbine can supply them. During outages, critical loads need batteries or a backup generator sized to carry them until the plant restarts.
Compare the cost of night-time imports with supplying auxiliaries from batteries or the turbine. In some markets, import charges and demand charges make local supply far cheaper over the life of the plant.
Plan the transfers between supplies so critical loads never drop. Test them at commissioning and on a regular schedule. Many mining sector clients learned this the hard way during long grid outages.
Plan Black Start for the Whole Plant
Write a black start plan: what powers the turbine’s auxiliaries, in what order systems restart and how the solar plant and batteries rejoin. A small backup generator or battery dedicated to turbine start-up is often the key to restarting without the grid.
Test the plan before you need it. Black start tests show whether every step works, how long recovery takes and whether staff know their roles. Fold the plan into your EPC design so the equipment and controls support it.
Your firming options include gas turbine generators such as a remanufactured GE Frame 6B, used/new gas turbines, natural gas engines/stations and New USP&E FX-45 45MW Modular Gas Turbine for the Hyperscale Data Center sector in the USA. In hyperscale EPC/O&M, AI gas turbines, hyperscale generators and gas turbines for compute need auxiliary power planned just as carefully. For wider renewable scopes, see our sister site on renewable EPC.
Global Offices Behind Your Solar EPC Programme
Your team wants answers in its own time zone. USP&E’s offices in Colorado Springs (1755 Telstar Dr, Suite 300) and Knoxville (800 S Gay St, Suite 700) lead your solar EPC and gas firming project conversations in the US, from the first data request to the site visit, so questions about fuel, interconnection and delivery are answered by people who can be on site.
The wider network carries the heavy lifting for PV blocks, natural gas engine firming and GT bridges: London (162-168 Regent Street) for structuring and finance, Johannesburg (22 Kildoon Rd, Bryanston) for engineering and project controls, Cape Town (31 Brickfield Road, Woodstock) for design and commissioning support, and Wuxi, China (No. 1, Ningzhou Road, Wuxi) for China supply chain and manufacturing.
For auxiliary power design, Colorado Springs and Knoxville engineers can list your loads, plan supply paths for day, night and outage, and test the black start plan with your team. Regions served: USA | AFRICA | UK | UAE | CHINA. USP&E’s reach covers 150+ power projects in 45+ countries and 25,000 MW contracted since 2002, and the company is ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified.
What USP&E Has Delivered for Solar EPC Buyers
You want proof that USP&E has delivered power plants with reliable supply under pressure. These projects show that record.
- USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers.
- NEOM, Saudi Arabia: USP&E supplied three zero-hour Siemens SGT-400 gas turbines as the single technical and commercial interface, and the client reported savings of over $10 million. Read the case study.
- Perenco, Guatemala: USP&E delivered a 13.1 MW HFO/diesel modular power station under full EPC in under five months, on time and on budget. Read the case study.
HowTo: Plan Auxiliary Power for a Solar and GT Plant
Your 3-step plan: 1. Share your plant layout, load lists and grid connection terms. 2. Receive an auxiliary power design and black start plan. 3. Build, test and operate under accountable EPC and O&M.
- List every auxiliary load on the solar plant and the gas turbine yard with day and night demand.
- Choose the normal and backup supplies for each auxiliary board.
- Plan how auxiliaries are powered during a grid outage and a black start.
- Meter auxiliary consumption so it is not hidden inside plant output.
- Test transfers between auxiliary supplies during commissioning.
- Review auxiliary use each month and cut waste.
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FAQ: Solar EPC Auxiliary Power with GT Firming
What auxiliary loads does a solar plant have?
USP&E designs auxiliary supply for trackers, inverter and transformer cooling, SCADA and communications, security, lighting, control buildings, water systems and firming turbine auxiliaries such as lube oil pumps and fuel systems. Each load has different timing and criticality. All of them need a planned supply.
How is a solar plant powered at night?
USP&E supplies night-time auxiliaries from the grid, batteries or the firming turbine, depending on costs and reliability. In markets with high import or demand charges, local supply from batteries or the turbine can be cheaper over the life of the plant.
Why does a firming turbine need its own auxiliary supply?
USP&E plans auxiliary supply for the turbine because it cannot start without power for lube oil pumps, fuel systems, controls and ventilation. If the grid fails and no backup supply exists, the turbine cannot help restart the plant, turning a short outage into a long one.
What is a black start plan for a solar plant?
USP&E writes black start plans that define what powers the turbine’s auxiliaries, the order in which systems restart and how solar and batteries rejoin. A dedicated small generator or battery often enables restart without the grid. Regular tests prove the plan works.
Where are USP&E’s offices for solar EPC projects?
USP&E supports solar EPC projects from Colorado Springs and Knoxville in the US. London structures contracts and finance, Johannesburg and Cape Town add engineering and field depth across Africa, and Wuxi follows up inverters, switchgear and equipment made in China.
Has USP&E delivered power plants with reliable supply?
USP&E has refurbished seven GE Frame 6B gas turbines to zero hours in-house for major US hyperscale data-centre developers. Public case studies also include zero-hour SGT-400 units supplied to NEOM and a 13.1 MW modular power station for Perenco in Guatemala.
Is USP&E a broker for solar projects?
USP&E is not a broker. USP&E designs, builds and operates hybrid plants with its own engineers, so the team that designs your auxiliary power is the same team that tests the black start plan and answers for how the plant performs.
How fast can USP&E respond to an auxiliary power review?
USP&E can start reviewing your plant layout, load lists and grid terms as soon as you share them. Engineers flag critical loads without backup first, especially turbine auxiliaries and SCADA, so they can be fixed before commissioning. Lower-risk items follow in order.
Keep Your Plant Powered and Ready to Restart
Design auxiliary power well and your plant stays monitored, secure and able to restart after any outage. Leave it late and night charges and long blackouts eat your returns. USP&E will help you design, test and operate with confidence.
Talk to an engineer about your solar EPC and gas firming project: use the USP&E contact page, call +27 10 822 2324 or email info@uspeglobal.com. You can also search the USP&E inventory for equipment that fits.
Powering Possibility. Built for the Frontier.