SolarStone Partners – Solar Garden Development

Location

IL

Expertise

Community

Energy

Environment

Technology

Services

City Engineering

GIS Services

Land Development

Mobile GIS

Natural Resources

Review, Regulation & Planning

Solar

Water Resources

Web Mapping

Sustainability

WSB partnered with SolarStone Partners, a solar development company, to create 40 community solar gardens. The range of services provided helped SolarStone meet evolving energy needs and customer preferences that will benefit cities and stakeholders.

The projects required several steps, including wetland delineation, geotechnical analysis, municipal ordinances and civil design. Our team supported SolarStone from early due diligence to final design and construction.

What are community solar gardens?

Community solar gardens (CSGs) provide distributed energy systems to local communities. CSGs are options for energy customers in some states who want to use solar energy but may be unable to generate their own solar power because they live in an apartment, have a shaded roof or do not have space for solar panels. Residents, businesses and organizations can subscribe directly to a CSG for a small fee. Once subscribed to an active CSG, the subscriber receives credits on their energy bill equivalent to the solar energy that contributes to the energy grid.

Siting solar arrays

We worked with SolarStone Partners to look for potential locations for solar array placements. Suitable locations were chosen based on the potential for environmental, biological, cultural, or historical features present or within the project area. Based on the review of environmental factors at potential solar sites, we provided recommendations for solar panel siting.

The process for selecting properties for CSGs can be complicated. To simplify the process, our GIS and Renewables teams developed a tool for site prospecting called DataLink. The application enabled SolarStone Partners to quickly identify and prioritize potential properties.

Permitting assistance

We also provided permitting services. This included preparing and submitting Conditional Use Permit applications to local government units as well as assisting with securing approvals, including working with communities to develop and create an ordinance that would allow solar gardens. Wetland delineation and permitting was also provided to meet the requirements of state and federal wetland and water rules. Preliminary design, final civil design, water resource design, and ALTA surveys were also completed for the projects.

Testimonial

“By partnering and working with WSB, SolarStone was able to increase the range of renewable options for both communities and businesses to meet their solar energy goals.”

Joe Devito, President and CEO, SolarStone Partners

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