Chris Wilson with Beta Engineering will be presenting a technical poster on "Reducing Project Risk with Integrated Design & Critical Chain Project Management" at RE+ 2023. In the video below, Chris provides a high-level explanation of integrated design and how it can lead to more successful projects, with savings in both time and money.
Want to dig deeper? View the white paper. For more technical content on high-voltage substations and renewable project interconnections, check out our blog.
As the world transitions to renewable energy, utilities face tremendous budgetary pressure and time constraints to upgrade and expand our electrical grid. Typically, firms building high-voltage substations and transmission line projects use siloed design and construction methodologies. Beta Engineering explored integrated approaches using 3D models combined with commitment-based schedules to bring stakeholders visibility and transparency throughout the course of a project, allowing for greater coordination. From the pre-construction design phase through the project lifecycle, critical decisions are identified earlier than normal, resulting in time savings, and therefore cost savings. With Integrated Design & Construction (IDC) methodologies and Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM), project teams can resolve potential conflicts before they negatively impact the project and answer questions before they are even asked. This method establishes a platform for record keeping, brings ideas for efficiency and repeatability to light, and provides one stop for all project information. As an added bonus, the project is visually presented in a way that is appealing and understandable, not just for the owner, but for all stakeholders. Our experience implementing IDC found that identifying the critical chain and creating a virtual animation of construction early in the project lifecycle results in timely resolutions to potential conflicts, as well as budget and schedule savings.
Engineer, Program/Project Development, and Supply Chain/Logistics
Chris Wilson is a Continuous Improvement Manager at Beta Engineering. He has led the implementation of several phases of Integrated Design at Beta Engineering, with the goal of creating a better way to express design intentions. Using Parametric Modeling, Design Automation, Reality Capture, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Gaming Engines, Chris and the rest of his design team have developed several methods that allow customers to visualize and walk through their virtual substation model during the proposal stage. Chris earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering Technology from Northwestern State University, and has worked at Beta since 2009.
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If you're looking for more ways to innovate your high-voltage project interconnections, check out our Agile by Beta® project solution. Agile leverages Factory-Built Substations to reduce construction time in the field, which can lead to cost and time savings. Reach out via the form below if you'd like to schedule a meeting to learn more.
