Page 25 - Q1_2023_Corp Newsletter

When an idea of need comes in to R&D, the team does
their homework. Through trial and error, R&D has found
that more questions need to be asked in the beginning,
which is different than a typical A3 plan. The reason
being is the team has to dig deep to sort viable options
before committing to a plan, schedule, solution, and
cost. A more traditional A3 plan usually doesn’t demand
this deep of a dive on the front end. There is a 4-step
process shown on the following page that R&D uses.
While the schedule, plan, and ultimate cost will vary,
R&D views each project through the lens of the team
motto, “Everything Must Pencil.” Each project must have
a known goal and quantifiable benefit. For example,
there is a goal to pick up a heavy object, such as a
240-pound battery that is the size of six show boxes, and
slide it into a slot located seven feet off the ground. Or
the need for something to help with MV cable prep and
terminations.
Rosendin’s leadership speaks to a more complex
strategic issue: the challenges of hiring workers and
attracting more people to the construction industry.
Workforce challenges are a decades-long problem, and
Rosendin is trying to combat these concerns through
multiple avenues. Examples include a partnership
with Grand Canyon University (pre-apprenticeship
coursework assistance), as well outreach to elementary,
junior high, and high school students to show the
opportunities that a career in construction can provide.
There is, however, another side to this challenge that
R&D takes up. Outreach gets people into the pipeline,
but what happens after they get here? R&D looks
at retention and worker satisfaction. R&D wants the
Rosendin workforce to be excited about building, to be
technologically enabled, and be able to operate sensibly
and safely with low waste and frustration. Innovations
and new processes need to provide benefits that
provide a prosperous career; where people want to stay
without fear that the work is too physically demanding.
The goal is for Rosendin’s office and field employees
to be satisfied with their jobs, proud of their work,
emotionally and intellectually engaged, and feel safe
working with a company that values their well-being.
Rosendin’s work happily aligns with all of this.
Additionally, here are some of the things that
the R&D team has been working on:
• Island-Mode EV Charging – A 100% stand-alone
EV charging system that runs off solar or fuel
cells, has onboard batteries, and can handle
up to six (6) cars simultaneously. Rosendin’s
Renewable Energy Group (RREG) sent over
this request, and it has caught the attention of
United Airlines for their ramp service fleets.
• Solar Inverter Skid Design – Did you know that
Rosendin installs more power inverters on our
solar projects than any hyper-scale data center
operators install UPS power modules in a given
Solve the problem
Viability & Context
Goal & Expectations
Resource/Coach
Relationships
Internal Test/POC
One-Job Test
Adjust/Fix/Modify
Stress Test
Rollout
Automatic
Relatable
year? R&D is working with RREG and MPS to develop a plan
to skid hundreds of inverters for rapid field installation,
much like MPS does with their data center solutions.
• Standardization in Solar Hardware and Cabling Standards –
R&D is working with RREG and key suppliers to build custom
module mounting and wiring solutions based on experience.
• Batteries – Battery technologies have improved and diversified
more in the past ten years than in the previous 100. Batteries
can now be chosen based on the load discharge/service
requirements and the recharge time allowances. Where
only a couple of chemistries were available in the past,
we can select from dozens today. Battery-based energy
storage systems are at the forefront of the green energy
revolution, and Rosendin is a thought leader in the space.
• Other Cool Stuff – R&D is also looking at automated pier
driving for solar projects and assisting Rosendin’s field
leadership with branch and lighting system specification
and installation standards. Additionally, shop process
improvements are in development as well as medium-
voltage cable prepping that prepares a cable perfectly
for its MV termination in under eight (8) minutes.
Keep on building America, stay safe, and keep the ideas
coming our way. 
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