There has been a dramatic increase in sustainable building in the past few years. One element of going green is renewable energy from solar or wind sources. Our firm has provided the design of structural support for a growing amount of solar panels for both commercial and residential owners. Renewable energy projects can be beneficial to owners of facilities of any size.
We have years of experience analyzing all types of roof systems (flat or pitched; wood, steel, or concrete) for additional loads. Knowledgeable engineers can help owners make decisions regarding support structures that could keep overall project expense to a minimum.
A wind turbine is another renewable energy source. Wind turbine attachment to an existing structure or foundation and the efficient design of those components, have a huge impact on the economical feasibility of a project.
Our services include:
- Valuable input in panel framing selection
- Structural analysis of existing roof structure to determine capacity
- Design and documentation of existing structural reinforcement
- Interpret appropriate building codes and provide documents for permit
- Design of new support structures and foundations
- Construction phase services
Project Profile:
Ansonia Local Schools Solar Panels (Ansonia, OH)
Ansonia is adding approximately 2,100 solar panels to the roof of its existing K-12 school, an early 1970’s structure with multiple, subsequent additions. This is a $1 million project hopes to generate 230,000 kilowatt hours of energy each year. We evaluated the existing roof framing for gravity loads and evaluated the influence of the additional seismic mass. In addition, the existing collateral load was evaluated throughout the school.