A 1.15 MWDC solar array developed by Onyx Renewables for a rural California community scored the highest of every commercial ground mount system HelioVolta inspected in 2025, earning an A+ HelioVolta Quality Standard® rating.
HelioVolta named Onyx Renewables, the project’s developer and owner, as the recipient of an inaugural HelioVolta Quality Standard (HQS®) Award for Best Ground Mount PV System. Onyx Renewables’ award-winning project demonstrates the best installation workmanship among all <5 MWDC ground mount projects inspected by HelioVolta in 2025.
About the Project
Onyx Renewables partnered with a California homeowners association to bring reliable solar power to a rural neighborhood. The system was constructed by Helix Electric. Key technical specifications include:
- Fixed tilt racking
- 10 string inverters
- 2,376 high-performance PV modules
Why HelioVolta Issued This Award
Onyx's project achieved the highest score of all ground-mount arrays assessed for our inaugural HQS awards. At a high level, the system was built to be measured and maintained to the highest standards: it contains sophisticated and precisely installed instrumentation that gives Onyx a trustworthy view of system performance for the asset’s lifetime, while workmanship in enclosures and electrical balance of systems (eBOS) protects components and supports serviceability. In addition to the system's defect-free construction, our engineers observed exemplary workmanship in several areas.
Monitoring
The project's data acquisition system (DAS) and meteorological sensors were thoughtfully selected and optimally installed to ensure high-precision tracking of system performance.
The system's robust monitoring capabilities ensure that Onyx can carefully track energy production to support reliable output and timely maintenance for the project's lifetime.
eBOS
Excellent wire management techniques were used, with additional sheathing installed to protect conductors from sharp edges on racking. All connectors are properly made.
Well-executed eBOS installation ensures system performance meets expectations and supports long-term PV system reliability.
Electrical Enclosures
All electrical enclosures are properly made up and labeled, with clean wire routing, torqued and marked lugs, debris-free interiors, duct seals at all entries, and proper grounding and bonding.
The workmanship in electrical enclosures facilitates serviceability for O&M technicians, ensures safe PV system operation, and protects key components from environmental exposure.
All conductors are properly stripped and landed in the fused terminal block. Set screws are torqued and marked. The enclosure is properly bonded. AC terminations are properly torqued, identified for phase and labeled. Conduit entries are sealed.
Why This Matters
“Not all energy is delivered equal. Our customers need solar that is engineered, inspected, and validated to perform," said Angie Daoud, COO of Onyx Renewables. "We build accountability into every step of how we develop, build, and care for our projects, and this independent award recognizes and confirms that this approach delivers."
A well-instrumented system is a system that can be managed effectively. Much of what distinguishes this project is invisible in a wide shot of the array: a pyranometer sited where it will actually measure what it is meant to measure, an anemometer placed far enough from obstructions to report real conditions, conductors sheathed at transition points where a screw head would eventually wear through insulation. These choices may not make an appreciable impact on the day the system is energized. However, a decade from now, they determine if an owner can tell the difference between a soiling event and a failing string from their office and if a technician dispatched to investigate can do the work safely and quickly.
Congratulations to Onyx Renewables, Helix Electric, and the Oaks Homeowners Association on a project built to serve its community for decades.