Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. was engaged by the solar lender, AVANA Capital, to perform a variety of Solar Consulting and Construction Risk Management services for a 2.0 MW solar energy project in Sonoma County, California. The project consisted of two separate solar photovoltaic (PV) installations that utilized approximately 12 acres of land on the property’s 25-acre parcel, which retained its primary use as agricultural.
Each installation can generate up to 1 MW of electricity at peak output and were both sold to the Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) Authority’s ProFIT feed-in tariff program under 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA). The power is interconnected to a Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) substation and is distributed to local residents. The project was financed through the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) electric program for renewable energy. Taken together, the installations provide 11% of SCP’s electrical generation and provide enough clean electricity to serve 1,200 homes (each system serving 600).
The “East” and “West” installations are each 1.28MWdc (direct current) / 1.0MWac (alternating current) ground-mounted single-axis tracking systems that utilize 3,192 400W solar modules configured with 114 strings (28 modules per string). They each utilize 8 inverters and an ATI Tracker racking system. The arrays were spaced 23-26 feet apart and are 7-9 feet in height, taking up under 18% of the parcel, in order to have minimal impact on agricultural production while allowing room for vegetation growth and livestock grazing beneath and between the arrays.
Partner’s Solar Consulting services comprised of an Independent Engineering Report, which included a Document and Cost Review, an Independent Financial Model, and a Reliance Letter. Partner’s Construction Risk Management services included Construction Progress Monitoring and Funds Control with Funds Disbursements. Partner also provided Commissioning Certifications for the developer, Juniper Energy, which included Substantial Completion, Mechanical Completion, and Ability to Produce.
