Project Specifics

Geosyntec was contracted to provide Owner‐engineering support related to erosion & sediment control as well as stormwater management for a 175‐megawatt solar energy facility in Charles City County, VA, owned and operated by a national leader in renewable energy. Geosyntec provided planning, design, and permitting efforts in support of roughly 100 acres of development that included 16 stormwater outfalls. Geosyntec’s portion consisted of two (2) “Pods” out of a total of sixteen (16) that comprise +/‐ 1,100 acres of land disturbance.

Geosyntec Scope of Services

Geosyntec consulted on preliminary design for the Client in support of maximizing panel coverage as well as planning for electrical underground routing.
Geosyntec provided site plan permitting services and construction documents for obtaining final County approval and land disturbance permit through coordination with Charles City County staff. This project complied with Virginia Code §9VAC25‐870 pertaining to the Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) Permit regulations and requirements. Channel protection and flooding were addressed via energy balance and  channel adequacy  through the implementation of stormwater management facilities and  energy dissipators. Geosyntec prepared a site layout to meet these regulations and with consideration to stormwater conveyances (diversions and open channels), substation access, buffers, proximity to adjacent properties, the desired equipment arrangement, and environmental compliance. This project consisted of a substation pad, several thousand linear feet of access road and culverts, and required a multi‐phase phased erosion & sediment control plan.

Notable Accomplishments

Geosyntec provided a comprehensive set of Civil design files and calculations, suitable to the Client for incorporation into the larger Permit Set, within a few weeks during the Spring of 2020. Due to the volume of work, global circumstances, and expedited timeframe, Geosyntec successfully collaborated over three offices to complete the work within budget and schedule.

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