Identifying and Mitigating delay factors in Engineering, Procurement and Construction Phases: With special reference to Solar Projects

Abstract

The solar projects are a complex industry with regards to its supply chain and EPC Phases. The identification and assessment of mitigation factors in the engineering, procurement and construction phases in solar projects help in timely completion of the projects. Effective collaboration between different phases in EPC projects helps identify and mitigate the delay factors. Time and cost are two factors which are significantly important in the EPC phases of solar projects. The problems of Delay and cost overrun in construction projects are two issues of concern which needs to be addressed. Another factor of the clients plays a major role, affecting the performance of the engineering and construction phases. The review of the literature indicated that the causes of delay vary from country to country; especially in the context of developing and developed countries. Therefore the primary purpose of this paper is to identify the delays factors and propose mitigation strategies to improve the performance of the projects. Top six causes of delays are identified in the solar projects using factor analysis and strategies are proposed to mitigate the delay factors to improve the project performance. The paper discusses the scope; direction for future research studies to suggest other pertinent causes of project delays.