The foundation of utility-scale solar, with Alice Thomas & Seif Gomaa

S1E4 episode overview

In the newest episode of Watt Matters, we welcome Alice Thomas and Seif Gomaa from Solarport Systems to talk about what lies beneath every solar installation — the mounting systems that support ground-mounted arrays at utility scale.

As solar farms grow in capacity and complexity, the “mount” is no longer a simple afterthought. What used to be a standard pile or ballast solution is now a tailored engineering decision — influenced by geotechnical studies, site topography, soil corrosivity, long-term design life, and even supply-chain agility.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why being a UK-based manufacturer gives mounting providers a lead-time and responsiveness advantage — including spare parts and on-site support.

• How a broad suite of foundation options (piles, ballast, gabion baskets, X-anchors, etc.) makes “difficult” terrain or non-penetrable ground viable for solar.

• The critical role of site investigations — including corrosion assessments, pull-out tests and accurate topographical data — in avoiding expensive surprises post-installation.

• Why documentation, code compliance and traceability have become indispensable for banks, investors, EPCs and asset owners.

• How 3-D layout optimization and topography-aware design influence yield, shading, constructability and, ultimately, project economics.

• The ways automation and AI are being used to streamline repetitive engineering tasks, support QC and boost design accuracy across teams.

• Emerging innovations to watch: tracker systems and carport-mounted solar for parking lots — signaling new growth opportunities beyond conventional ground-mount farms.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: why mounting systems matter
03:30 – Meet the guests and their roles
05:00 – The benefit of UK-based manufacturing
07:30 – Scaling up and adapting to varied foundation needs
10:00 – Design-life, warranty expectations and structural requirements
13:00 – Importance of site surveys and documentation
15:30 – Layout design and its impact on yield and cost
18:00 – Best practise in early project planning and procurement
22:00 – Hidden risks: soil, archaeology, ground conditions
24:30 – International expansion: UK vs EU standards
26:00 – Using AI and automation to improve design workflows
29:30 – What's next: trackers, carports and innovation
34:30 – Final reflections & advice to developers