Solar Energy Consulting Services for Spotsylvania County

This solar farm is the largest facility east of the Mississippi – the fifth largest solar site in the country. The company, sPower, a large, independent energy producer, built the facility with renewable energy credits being purchased by Microsoft. The tasks involve evaluating the studies provided by the applicant, evaluating the engineer’s estimate for decommissioning, and/or advising the county on environmental impacts specific to solar energy facilities.

The contract included the following services:

Evaluation of heat island/heat dome effect, its measurement/influence area, and mitigation measures.
Review and estimation of noise impacts during construction and attenuation through site design, buffering, and phasing of construction.

Review and estimation of vibration zone during pile driving and during panel rotation, if any.

Engineering cost estimation related to the removal of Solar Energy Facility and site remediation, including staging and timeframes for removal of solar panels, recycling, and disposal of components.

We also assisted the county in developing conditions to mitigate any negative impacts of Solar Energy Facilities.