Gridworks is a utility-scale solar farm and energy storage installation company out of New Mexico, completing over 50 solar projects since moving into the utility-scale division in 2014. For large investor-backed projects like Gridworks’ Rio Rancho build, minimizing risks that could delay the schedule or compromise worker safety is crucial.

In rural New Mexico, weather can do just that. Infrequent, yet large thunderstorms can fill electrical trenches with water, delaying work, and wind can pose a large risk when installing large solar panels. Lightning can also be a hazard to the workers in the field and can easily damage any tall equipment.

To manage these risks, Gridworks sought a solution that proactively monitors weather with detailed forecasts and automatically sends alerts for conditions like lightning, extreme heat, or rain that could delay work or endanger worker safety.

Shane Calloway, EHS Manager at Gridworks, explored several options, drawing from his past experience with WeatherBug. Seeking a more comprehensive, automated platform, he chose Perry Weather, marking the third project where Gridworks has relied on Perry Weather for severe weather monitoring and alerts.

How Perry Weather keeps construction sites safe from lightning

“Being in New Mexico, where we’re working, we’re in the mountains. We got low valleys, high valleys. So storms may be around us and be beautiful outside like it is today. And then ten minutes from now, there’s a storm rolling in.”

Shane Calloway, EHS Manager, Gridworks

Lightning can move in quickly and pose a significant risk to construction workers. This is why it was important to Gridworks to find a solution that was not only accurate but was also timely.

Before Perry Weather

Before implementing Perry Weather, GridWorks relied on free mobile apps like WeatherBug for weather monitoring and lightning detection. Apps like WeatherBug can be extremely inaccurate, especially in rural work areas, since they pull data from public weather stations miles away.

When monitoring lightning in the area, the app only sent updates every 30 minutes, which would often be long after the strike had actually occurred. This caused unnecessary long delays and risked the safety of Gridworks personnel.

After Perry Weather

Perry Weather transformed how Gridworks manages lightning risks with accurate lightning detection and alerts that arrive in time, giving everyone time to prepare. With Perry Weather, Gridworks got access to:

• Precise lightning detection with real-time alerts – Utilizing the same lightning detection network as NASA and the US Coast Guard, Perry Weather alerts Gridworks when lightning strikes have occurred in their area through text or push notifications.
• Lightning stand-down timer – When Perry Weather detects a lightning strike, it initiates a 30-minute stand-down timer in the mobile app, resetting with each new strike. Once no more lightning is detected, Perry Weather sends an all-clear signal to Shane and the on-site project managers.
• Outdoor warning system – When Perry Weather detects a lightning strike, it initiates a 30-minute stand-down timer, resetting with each new strike. Once no more lightning is detected, Perry Weather sends an all-clear signal to Shane and the Project Managers. After the lightning stand-down ends, an audible alert sounds and the strobe light turns off, signaling to the Gridworks team that it’s safe to resume work.

The reliability and accuracy of Perry Weather have eliminated the guesswork and inconsistencies Gridworks experienced with prior weather solutions, providing peace of mind when it comes to lightning safety and other weather conditions.

How on-site weather data increases worker safety

On-site weather data is crucial for construction projects because it provides hyper-local, real-time information that directly impacts project timelines, worker safety, and equipment use. 

Unlike free weather apps that rely on data from distant sources, on-site data reflects the exact conditions at the construction site—ensuring that decisions around delays and safety protocols are based on accurate, site-specific data. 

This minimizes risks, prevents costly downtime, and keeps projects on track by allowing for precise responses to sudden weather changes as they occur.

“We have the station on site, so any information we get is just right there on my site. I don’t have to worry about it being ten degrees hotter or ten degrees cooler in another part of New Mexico or 20 miles down the road. My reading is coming from my site.”

Shane Calloway, EHS Manager, Gridworks

What types of weather does Perry Weather monitor for Gridworks?

Perry Weather’s on-site weather station collects precise weather data including:

• Wind speed, wind direction & wind chill
• Ambient temperature, heat index, humidity & WBGT
• Precipitation

Saving EHS managers time with automatic alerts

For Shane, one of the biggest benefits of Perry Weather is the time that it saves him and his team. Shane no longer has to manually monitor the conditions of each site. Instead, Perry Weather’s automatic alerts allow him to focus on his other responsibilities. 

Anytime there is a weather event that could pose a potential safety risk or break OSHA standards Shane gets a notification, and he can let everyone on the site know that it’s time to seek shelter or take cooling/hydration breaks 

“As an EHS manager with GridWorks, I have a ton of things to do. I have paperwork, I have meetings, I have reports, plus I have to watch over the personnel on our site, plus my personnel. Perry Weather makes my job easy because I don’t have to constantly monitor the weather to see if we have storms or extreme heat for the day. Any weather event happens. It notifies me. That way I can take action.”

Shane Calloway, EHS Manager, Gridworks

The automatic alerts ensure that no weather risks slip through the cracks, which keeps everyone on the site safe even when managers are engaged in other tasks.

Mitigating wind risk with wind speed alerts

“We also have a wind indicator that lets us know what the wind speed is. Our policy is anything over 30 miles an hour, we shut down potential hazards like throwing racking, carrying heavy loads, lifting heavy loads. We shut that down. Perry Weather’s an awesome deal on that because it also lets us know when the wind has died down below 30 miles an hour.”

Shane Calloway, EHS Manager, Gridworks

This real-time wind speed data allows GridWorks to make quick, informed decisions about when to pause and resume work, ensuring worker safety without unnecessarily increasing downtime.

For Gridworks, safety is a top priority, and Perry Weather not only helps them comply with OSHA regulations but also enables them to protect employees without having to constantly monitor the weather. 

The real-time weather data and automatic alerts have significantly reduced the risks associated with unpredictable weather in rural New Mexico, from lightning strikes and wind hazards to extreme heat and rainstorms. 

With reliable on-site weather information, Gridworks can confidently protect their workers, minimize delays, and stay focused on completing their projects efficiently.