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One of North America’s largest solar projects nears completion
Phase 1 of one of North America’s largest solar projects will begin delivering much-needed renewable energy in 2021. The Aquamarine Westside Solar project is a 325MWdc generation facility located in Kings County, California. Blymyer Engineers provided design services on the project, and SOLV Energy is leading the project. BEI Construction, Blymyer’s sister firm, constructed key portions of Aquamarine project.
Aquamarine is part of a planned 2.7GW solar generation complex called Westlands Solar Park. As the first phase of Westlands, Aquamarine sets the stage for the larger, multiphase project. Westlands will take shape across more than 20,000 acres in California’s central valley, and could one day power more than 1.2 million homes.
“It’s inspiring to see our design for Aquamarine Westside Solar take shape,” says Blymyer President Mike Rantz. “More than 800,000 photovoltaic modules will generate power that feeds into a 1,500 Vdc collection system. A 230kV substation, which we designed, along with a 15-mile gen-tie line and switching stations connect the project to the grid.”
Farming clean energy
Aquamarine makes smart use of otherwise low-value land. Located in one of the world’s most productive agricultural areas, Westlands Solar Park is being built on land unsuitable for agriculture due to its high salt content. Contributing clean energy to California turns it into an asset. Valley Clean Energy plans to purchase much of the energy produced. The company serves Davis and many Yolo County farming communities, and makes it a priority to source energy from facilities that are not located on land suitable for agriculture.
“Solar farms like Aquamarine and Westlands put non-agricultural land to work,” says Rantz. “This way, low-value land contributes power and supports jobs.”
About SOLV Energy
SOLV Energy offers a diverse range of clients engineering, procurement, construction, and SOLV® services for solar photovoltaic plants throughout North America. SOLV is a complete operations and maintenance solution. With more than 125 years of building landmark projects, SOLV Energy has forged a reputation for unsurpassed safety, workmanship, on-time delivery, and customer satisfaction. Learn more about SOLV Energy at solvenergy.com.
About BEI Construction
BEI Construction offers electrical, technology infrastructure, underground, and renewable energy construction services. The firm has a 30-year history of delivering superior work at competitive prices. BEI is a frequent design/build partner of Blymyer Engineers. Learn more about BEI at beiconstruction.com.