copyright Dan Bihn
At the end of 2010 we completed our largest installation to date in Fort Collins, CO on the campus of Colorado State University. We were brought on to the project to coordinate and manage the installation of the racking system. We worked on Phase II of Solar Farm for CSU at the foothills campus. Phase I was completed last year and is a single axis tracking array, Phase II is a fixed tilt array as you can see below.
copyright Dan Bihn
As you can see the site is in the foothills of the Rockie Mountains near the Horsetooth Reservoir. The Horsetooth Reservoir was created in 1949 by constructing large damns. Previous to 1949 the site was a lake bed underwater. You may be thinking this is boring useless information but the project’s biggest challenges were due to the location of this site and the construction of the reservoir. When the reservoir was built much of the construction waste – large boulders of sand stone, granite, shale and micah were dumped on the site.
To add to the difficulty the foundation elements specified for the racking system were to be helical screw piles which are basically large earth screws.
Some Large Rocks found on site. They don't call it the Rockie Mountains for nothing.
Below is a picture of some of the machinery we used on site to install the foundation elements.
One badass rock drill and mini excavator
Below we begin to layout the location of each foundation element.
Ernesto and Sotero lay out the foundation
Below we begin to introduce the first foundation elements.
Introducing the pile.
Here we are load testing the piles. The results were very impressive the piles tested at loads many times greater than the design loads.
Pass !
The material is on site and now we can begin assembling the racking system from the foundations on up.
Ready to Rock N Roll
Below we begin attaching the sloped beams.
Below the next structural element the purlins are attached to the beams.
The Panels Arrive !
Yes !
The panel mounting process begins only 14,000 something more to go.
copyright Dan Bihn
copyright Dan Bihn
Finished !
copyright Dan Bihn
Project Credits:
Client : Colorado State University
Developer : Fotowatio Renewable Ventures
General Contractor : Global Energy Services
Racking Provider : Mecapisa
PV Panel Provider : Trina
Electrical Contractor : Sturgeon Electric
