Solar farms in the Mojave Desert near Kern County, California, are producing a significant amount of renewable energy. Power generated by 2 solar farms is providing enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 100,000 households 70 miles away in the Los Angeles area. The solar farms are called Springbok 1 and Springbok 2. Swinerton Renewable Energy was EPC on the project and chose Blymyer Engineers to provide electrical and structural engineering services on both projects.
Operated by 8minutenergy, Springbok 1 and Springbok 2 are a combined 258 megawatts, with Springbok 1 (108 megawatts) and Springbok 2 (150 megawatts). The adjacent solar farms each occupy approximately 700 acres of land and deliver power to a shared substation.
“Springbok 1 and 2 exemplify the potential of solar farms to efficiently provide electricity to population centers,” says Blymyer President Mike Rantz. “The farms are contributing to a clean-energy future. Springbok 1 alone displaces approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.”
Design highlights
Blymyer’s scope of work on the project included energy modeling, site plans, and general arrangement drawings for the system. The Blymyer team also developed the complete electrical design, including the electrical site plan, single line diagrams, trench layout, detailed design, grounding design, and more.
For the structural engineering portion of the project, Blymyer engineered the facilities to withstand all applicable wind and seismic loads. Receiving less than 14 inches of rain each year, the Mojave Desert offers favorable conditions for large-scale solar farms. However, the region is subject to high winds and occasional flooding. Structural design features on the project include inverter foundations and single-axis tracker foundations.
About Swinerton Renewable Energy
Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) offers engineering, procurement, construction, and SOLV® services for solar photovoltaic plants throughout North America to a diverse range of clients. With over 125 years of building landmark projects, Swinerton has forged a reputation for unsurpassed safety, workmanship, on-time delivery, and customer satisfaction. Today, our team takes pride in building cost-effective solar systems that will generate reliable, clean power for many years to come. Learn more about Swinerton Renewable Energy at swinertonrenewable.com.
Photo from Swinerton Renewable Energy