Description:
Partner is providing ongoing civil engineering, electrical engineering and EV charging consulting services for a New Jersey-based regional health care provider looking to install solar carports and EV charging at five different sites throughout the state. As of summer 2023, three sites are completed with make-ready construction work that provides conduits from the buildings/main switch gear pads to the solar carports, setting up the properties for EV charging equipment installation. Two other sites are pending construction.
For the three constructed sites, Partner provided the following scopes of work: civil engineering, electrical engineering, land use permits, construction permits, construction administration, construction observation, contractor payment requisitions, equipment sourcing and procurement. For the two sites pending construction, Partner provided the following scopes to-date: civil engineering, electrical engineering, land use permits, and construction permits.
Challenges
At the first site, the construction took place in a floodplain, where excavating deep piers in shallow groundwater required casing to prevent collapse. Additionally, construction required maintaining 24/7 access to emergency services and was done within a heavily utilized parking facility. At the second site, construction took place atop two active parking garages, and crane activities were scheduled within a Level 1 Trauma Center with rooftop helicopter operations. At the third site, it was necessary to construct deep piers in variably rocky soil conditions, and similar to the first site, it was required to maintain 24/7 access to emergency services and the construction took place within a heavily utilized parking facility.
Benefits
Installation of solar carports helps offset portion of the hospitals’ electric costs through the generation of onsite renewable energy, while providing shade, stormwater management, and protection from the elements for patrons using the parking facilities. This also shows the client’s commitment to renewable energy and communities they serve, and adds to EV charging location availability for a growing EV market. At the site where construction took place on top of the parking garages, it allowed the client to effectively utilize the limited available rooftop area for renewable energy.
