The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) – Solar Upgrades project includes our professional consulting engineering services for design, install, test and commissioning of the brand-new Solar PV array and associated components at 14 school sites. The aim of this project is to reduce CBE’s electricity consumption, aid GHG emission reduction and enhance student learning of green technologies.
These schools have a 100-350 KW solar system being designed & installed on site. This project aims to leverage the best available technology for solar PV array & power generation, including high-efficiency bi-facial panels and racking specifically designed for colder climates which allows for thermal expansion and contraction without damaging existing roofing membranes in any manner thereby compromising the warranties of both the roof and solar equipment.
Williams Engineering (WE) were retained as a Prime Consultant to provide our electrical and structural engineering consulting services during the duration of this project, from site selection, technical feasibility, system design, regulatory compliance, procurement, construction to commissioning. Each stage required careful planning and coordination to ensure the project was completed on time, within budget, and meets high-quality standards.
Our electrical team coordinated and complied with the CBE Design standards, along with industry best practices. We reviewed, advised and designed the electrical distribution on-site, including main breaker, MDP and existing metering. The team ensured that the solar layouts and mountings did not restrict the flow of storm water to roof drains, and that the mounting details for all solar PV arrays and cable trays allow for thermal expansion and contraction so that all supports in contact with the roof remain stationary.
Our structural services include the assessment of the existing infrastructure, including existing drawings and site conditions. We coordinated and verified the existing structure for the additional load of solar panels, ballast and applicable live and dead loads for snow accumulation drifting or water ponding; structural integrity was confirmed for the entire solar installation including mounting systems and electrical connections.
