Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Array Installations

Challenges

Since 2009, SME has provided engineering and support services for ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation projects throughout Maine. These arrays, with power generating capacities ranging from 63kW to 26MW, have been installed on private and public properties, such as municipal landfills, business parks, farmland, and previously undeveloped land.

To date, SME has provided professional consulting services for over 200 projects with a total generating capacity of more than 700MW. Our clients include private landowners, municipalities, and leading commercial solar energy developers.

Project Outcome and Value Added

SME provides preliminary site analysis, surveying, environmental review, civil engineering design, and environmental permitting for projects. For many typical projects, this encompasses a suite of site/civil services performed by SME in-house staff and in coordination with qualified subcontractors:

• Due diligence analysis to identify legal and physical design constraints of a site
• Phase 1 ESA to determine suitability of a site for the project
• Property line and topographic survey plans
• Site plan design for site plan review/special permit applications (e.g., Site Location of Development Act (SLODA))
• Environmental services to identify and evaluate factors such as wetlands delineations, flood zones, underlying rights, and archaeological significance
• State and local permitting
• Public hearings and stakeholder communications
• Easements plans
• ALTA/ACSM survey plans
• Construction engineering layouts, and
• Construction documents

The result is a seamless and streamlined site/civil development process that contributes to keeping projects on track.