Project Profile: Beacon Provides Construction Consulting Services Related to Solar Power Project
Beacon recently provided Construction Consulting services related to a solar energy project in Orange County, NY. Beacon was retained by a leading Surety company to help evaluate the status of an ongoing Solar Field construction project. The Surety became involved when the electrical subcontractor on the project (the principal) did not complete their contracted work related to the electrical work on the site.
Construction on the project started in 2022. The project size is 5.2 MW (DC) / 4.4 MW (AC) and consists of more than 13,800 individual solar panels located on a 23-acre hilltop in a rural area of Orange County, NY (see photos). When completed, the solar panels will be connected to a 4-MW (9.7 MWHR) battery energy storage system (BESS). The facility will provide enough power for approximately 2500-3500 homes (based on the average usage per home in the U.S.).
In recent years, Beacon has provided Construction Consulting and Surety Claims Consulting services related to several projects which had renewable and/or conventional energy components. In New York State, the number of solar energy projects installed in recent years has grown quickly. Financial incentives from the U.S. Government and New York State have been helping to drive significant growth in the number of large-scale solar projects in the state. According to the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority(NYSERDA), New York State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) calls for 70 percent of the State's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 and 6,000 megawatts of solar by 2025.
NYSERDA data (as of June 30, 2023) indicates that the state now has a total of approximately 4863 MW (DC) of installed solar energy generating capacity (coming from 203,981 separate installations). NYSERDA reports that Orange County, NY has more than 267 MW of solar energy capacity installed (based on 8,697 active projects, as of June 30, 2023).
New York State's “Climate Act” was passed in 2019 and established ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the state. The "Scoping Plan" developed (in response to the Climate Act) details the actions required for New York to achieve:
- 70% renewable energy by 2030
- 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040
- 40% reduction in statewide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 levels by 2030
- 85% reduction from 1990 levels by 2050
- Net zero emissions statewide by 2050
The NYS Scoping Plan covers six sectors: Transportation, buildings, electricity, industry, agriculture and forestry, and waste. The Plan provides an overview of the “state” of each sector and GHG-reduction strategies for each sector.
*Click on the Thumbnail Image below to see a larger aerial view of this project.
