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Affordable Wire Management (AWM), a leading provider of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) cable management systems (CMS), has reported record-breaking growth and innovation. In 2024, the company doubled its gigawatts installed and tripled its workforce, reinforcing its role in advancing clean energy adoption. To date, AWM’s messenger cable systems have been installed in over 350 projects worldwide, with a total installed capacity exceeding 20 gigawatts (GW). The average size of a grid-scale power plant using AWM’s solutions is over 200 megawatts (MW). AWM has made significant investments in domestic sourcing to meet Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) content requirements, spending more than half a million dollars on U.S. tooling and specialized equipment. The company also expanded its supply chains internationally, developing networks in Mexico, India, and China to support its global operations. With a total capacity of 150 GW worldwide, AWM is now active in North America, Central and South America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, with a major upcoming project in Australia. In response to growing demand, AWM has strengthened its leadership team by bringing in well-known industry experts. In 2024, Linda Merritt joined as Head of Quality, while Brian Townsend was appointed Vice President of Sales, and Paul Subzak became Vice President of Engineering. These additions reflect the company’s focus on value engineering, quality, and customer satisfaction. Co-founder and CEO Scott Rand emphasized that AWM’s success is driven by its commitment to providing modern, customizable solutions, high safety standards, and strong partnerships with leading engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms, engineers of record (EORs), and power plant owners. He highlighted the company’s ongoing expansion and innovation efforts to support the global clean energy transition. AWM has introduced several innovations to optimize performance and reduce costs for utility-scale projects. In 2024, the company formally launched its Ampacity Optimization Analysis, a proprietary methodology designed to increase ampacity, lower project costs, speed up construction, and maximize energy yields. Using this approach, AWM has successfully modeled voltage drops in its CMS designs, achieving up to a 15% reduction in ohmic losses for aboveground cable management systems. Some of the company’s notable projects in 2024 include Acciona’s Union Solar Farm in Central Ohio, a 325 MW facility now in operation. Another major project, Escalante Solar in New Mexico, developed by Origis Energy, won the Project of the Year Award from Solar Builder Magazine. These achievements demonstrate AWM’s growing influence in the industry. At RE+ 2024, AWM unveiled three new CMS products—the Pinyon Hanger, SUMAC Rail, and Hail Stow-Hanger—expanding its offerings to enhance cable management efficiency. The Hail Stow-Hanger, designed to work alongside Nextracker’s Hail Pro-75 system, protects solar panels from extreme weather events. AWM recognizes the importance of climate-conscious designs and continues to develop resilient solutions to help power plant owners mitigate climate-related risks. Co-founder and CTO Dan Smith stated that AWM’s Arden, Pinyon, and Hail-Stow Hangers are custom-designed and ampacity-optimized to meet the needs of EPC partners and power plant owners. He highlighted the company’s multi-gigawatt-scale capabilities, supported by strong domestic manufacturing partnerships and an expanded international supply chain. Looking ahead, AWM plans to introduce new BESS solutions, further driving its momentum into 2025 and beyond. |
