With increasing demands on the energy grid, renewable energy projects are moving forward, and new technologies are transforming the way they are built. By implementing technologies such as digitization, automation, machine learning and robotics, Ferrovial effectively delivers reliable energy faster and safer to communities.
Solar field construction requires highly detailed planning and surveying. These projects typically involve long hours and significant labor in rough terrain and extreme heat. The projects are very time and labor consuming, requiring manual surveying, staking and quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), often leading to rework risks, higher labor costs, and scheduling delays.
For example, supervisors often relied on walking the site with tablets or apps to capture daily logs. With automation, much of that process is streamlined: data is captured directly from the equipment, digitized in real time, and instantly shared with teams and stakeholders. The result is greater visibility, transparency, and fewer hours spent on repetitive documentation.
In Leon County, Texas, Ferrovial is developing a 257 MWdc solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, capable of serving over 36,000 homes. With more than 53,000 piles to be installed, piling is a critical path activity on this utility-scale solar project. By partnering with Trimble and piloting Groundworks technology alongside Vermeer equipment, our teams are demonstrating how AI-driven automation — including Vermeer’s point-to-point navigation that automates machine steering and positioning — is reshaping solar field construction by improving speed, precision, and consistency at scale.
The benefits of automation at our project in Leon County are vast, including:
- Time: Consistently delivers up to 30% faster performance compared to traditional methods. On our Leon County project, this translated into a measurable reduction in average installation times, resulting in significant productivity gains. With automation, daily productivity could increase from approximately 150 piles to nearly 200 piles — effectively delivering the work of an extra half-crew without additional labor cost.
- Quality: Automation can improve outcomes and potentially reduce rework by up to 14% by monitoring pile completion in real-time and generating reports after each operation, streamlining the QA/QC process.
- Cost: Reduces a significant portion of survey-related effort in piling by streamlining layout, minimizing manual stakeout, and automating as-built data capture. While survey control and quality checks remain essential, these technologies help lower overall survey costs and reduce schedule risk.
- Productivity: Automation standardizes repeatable digital workflows, improving accuracy and quality while freeing up workers to focus on more complex tasks.
- Safety: Automation not only reduces risks in challenging environments but also eases the physical and mental strain on operators. With Vermeer’s point-to-point navigation, the system assists in machine steering and positioning, allowing operators to focus on oversight rather than repetitive manual control — improving comfort, reducing fatigue, and enhancing overall site safety.
- Training: With the industry facing ongoing labor shortages, automation helps bring new operators up to speed more quickly. Systems like the Vermeer with Trimble guidance simplify complex tasks such as positioning and alignment, making it easier for younger or less-experienced operators to achieve proficiency sooner than with traditional methods. This not only shortens the learning curve but also builds confidence and consistency on site.
At Ferrovial, we pride ourselves on delivering energy solutions that can meet the rising demand from communities as well as sectors such as AI and data centers, where reliability and scale are critical.
In 2025, we also announced a second renewable energy project in Milam County, Texas, where we are developing a 250 MW solar photovoltaic facility and will be responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility. The facility is expected to produce power by 2027 and deliver approximately 450 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually, enough to serve 43,000 homes. Ferrovial embraces advanced technologies to deliver complex infrastructure solutions faster and safer while lowering risk and meeting the highest quality standards.
