What do the Civil Engineers do for the Functionality of the Solar Farms?

by SBD Consulting Engineers Civil And Structural Engineering Solutions Melbour

Civil engineers have an active role in the solar farm projects in Melbourne starting from designs, progress, and executions while making needed amendments for successful completion.

The civil engineers in Melbourne have the ability for managing the crucial supportive elements of solar projects. Since the solar farms are fascinating owing to the clean and safe solar energy, that is a limitless renewable energy source, so it has become a popularised power source for the future of Melbourne.The following functions define how civil engineers work for solar farms.

i. Keeping the matters simplified

For the solar farms in Melbourne, the civil engineers work to design the access roads around the farms. They implement productive ideas for dealing with stormwater as well as drainage. The civil engineers make minimum modifications to match the existing area's topography. For the drainage, they replicate the already existing factors. The key to an excellent civil design is impact minimization to the prevailing land. So, they design a hardened surface for the water so the water can flow over the road at the prevailing grade for minimizing the impacts to the existing flow path.

ii. Prioritize the leading edge clearance

The civil engineers design the grading around the solar panels’ leading edge that is even known as leading-edge clearance. This is denoted as the distance the ground and to the lowest point at the solar panels' edge. Combined with the electrical designing team, they determine the module racking leading-edge clearance needed. It is helpful for avoiding water, snow, and grass, which are covering the machinery and electrical equipment, and for optimizing the energy generation.
Additionally, the slope tolerance is provided by the manufacturers for their racking products, which is the hardware securing the solar panels to the solar surfaces. The civil engineers check the prevailing topography and then shape them for adhering them to clearance. In several cases, the tolerance is within 7.9 inches, thus it could be daunting tasks on the larger sites.

While using the solar tracker that moves the solar panels for producing a greater amount of solar power, then the leading edge clearance is considered on the solar array’s both sides. Even the uniform leading edge even results in refined-looking solar farms. With the correct measurements, building the projects to the needed specification is easier with good designs.

iii. Maintenance of continuous Communications

Everything is about communication and civil engineers keep their clients updated and informed. They even maintain clear communications between the other disciplines of engineering like the structural, civil, geotechnical, electrical, landscape, structural, and environmental departments for maintaining constant communications to ensure the designs are cooperating throughout the project. For instance, the electrical conduit’ trench must be diverted around the access road culvert’s location - the culvert allowing water flow under the road. They can avoid the problems related to construction by finding out the issues quickly and getting back to work at the earliest.

iv. Prioritizing the Scheduling

The civil engineers maintain the schedule-oriented approaches for handling solar projects. Since the solar panel layouts keep on changing, so they devise ways for making efficient adjustments. Using the tool like AutoCAD Civil 3D helps in active management of expected changes, and the civil engineers use them to make suitable changes at once for the entire projects by using the blocks in their designed drawings for modifying multiple objects on simultaneous moves. They revise the processes for easing out the repeated similar revisions.

v. Incorporating the Electrical Plans

As civil engineering is part of the solar designs, it even affects the electrical part, and both are interdependent on each other. Both department engineers ensure none of their works are conflicting. The civil engineers make sure to consider the electrical equipment for:

Planning the access roads, stormwater management, and grading
Minimizing construction cost
Providing GPS coordination of the piles, the implements being driven into the ground for mounting the solar structures, and the equipment items so they are correctly installed in the proper location.
Ensuring the generation facility is operable for a period of 30 years and more.
All these tasks are essential for maintaining active communication among the teams.

vi. Complicated, large, and rewarding

By nature, solar farms are large and complex projects, which involve a series of different disciplines along with tight deadlines. The most rewarding part of the civil engineers being involved in solar farms is the satisfaction to meet the deadlines while delivering the highest product quality.

Are you planning to set up a solar farm at a suitable location for the betterment of the area? Then before going ahead with your project, make sure to consult the civil engineers in Melbourne. They are apt operators towards the legalized and success of the project.