Solar Over Interstate 10 Level Top Canal

This project is a State of the Art Canal Energy System (CES) on the P-MIP Level Top Canal. The CES system will generate renewable energy and is designed to span across the canal supporting Photovoltaic (PV) arrays without disrupting agricultural lands or native desert. WX assisted in the technical planning and final design for the GRIC P-MIP Solar Over 1-10 Level Top Canal Design Project. Design consisted of approximately 1,624 solar panels spanning the Level Top Canal to conserve approximately 7.98 ac-ft of water annually (5.40 ac-ft from evaporation + 2.576 ac-ft from thermoelectric energy usage) and provide approximately 876kW DC of nameplate power, approximately 1,667 MWh annually to the GRICUA electrical grid to offset irrigation district groundwater extraction operation power expenses. Over the life cycle (25 years of life cycle) of the project, this equates to saving about 200 ac-ft of water. The CES system includes major galvanized steel frame sections mounted with solar panels to cover a length of about 962 feet of the canal. The solar array includes two hinged solar frames on either end of the Canal of O&M access, while other arrays fixed with pin connections removable for access to the canal. There are 29 frames, each with 56 solar panels connected to 15 pairs of inverters networked to tie-into a GRICUA MTD transformer. All major frames will be mounted onto drilled concrete shafts, one at each corner of frame installation. The project included planning, design, survey, cost estimating, technical specifications, and full bidding package. Project scope included the preparation of a successful federal grant application for construction funding.