Green Roofs have numerous ecological, societal and economical benefits. Here’s why you should consider installing a green roof.
Virtual Reality 3D Mapping
Virtual Reality is a new way of data collection to create plans digitally in order too see the reproduction of conditions of buildings and external sites. Find out more about Virtual Reality 3D Mapping.
Solar Energy Guide for Community Solar for Low to Moderate-Income Residential Developments
As the electricity costs in the US continue to increase, many people are considering alternative energy sources to reduce their current utility bills. Lots of homeowners in the country are considering installing solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint and save money.
It’s, however, important to note here that installing solar panels is a huge undertaking, and many people can’t afford it. The best way to overcome this problem is to use community solar in low to moderate-income residential developments.
Distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are becoming increasingly popular in the US, and their associated costs are also reducing swiftly. New York’s Green New Deal initiative (the state’s goal for 100% carbon-neutral power generation by 2040) and the Clean Energy Standard (the state’s goal to produce 70% of the electricity using renewable energy by 2030) are expected to bring economic development and employment opportunities for the residents in low to moderate-income areas.
New York’s public and private housing authorities can use community solar to seamlessly achieve these sustainability goals and rapidly improve the current economic state of low to moderate-income residential developments.
What’s Community Solar?
Community solar, also known as shared solar or solar garden, provides renters, homeowners, and businesses equal access to solar and allows them to gain the environmental and economic benefits of solar energy generation without installing a solar panel in their home or commercial facility.
Community Solar — Fundamental Principals
Here are the core principles of an effective and fair community solar project.
- All the residents of a community should be allowed to benefit from the operation of community solar.
- Interconnect community shared solar energy systems to serve the utility’s grid.
- Establish a fair and just bill credit mechanism that ensures all the subscribers get an equal economic benefit.
- Ensure long-term continuity of the renewable energy program and assure its quality and maintenance.
- Accurate and comprehensive disclosure of risks and benefits of the program to maintain transparency.
- Strict compliance with customer protection laws and taxes to ensure minimum risk for customers.
Site Assessment for Community Solar
Site selection plays a key role in determining the efficacy of a renewable energy project.
To put minimum stress on infrastructure, try brownfields and grey fields instead of green fields. But, make sure you’re installing the solar panels at locations from where they can receive sunlight throughout the day. Seek help from a LEED-certified company to make sure you’re complying with sustainability standards.
Renewable Solar Power Specialists at Your Service
Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Larsen Engineers is a renowned multi-disciplinary firm that provides solar energy consulting services, civil and environmental engineering, structural engineering services, construction phase services, anaerobic digestion services, consulting engineering services, and LEED-certified municipal engineering services to our clients.
Contact us today for more information.
Retrofit Large Commercial Building Roofs to Produce Community Solar Power and Extend Roof Life
Retrofitting is about adding new tech-oriented features to a property. The process has more than one advantage and is often performed to assist buildings with better tech solutions. Retrofitting solar panels over roofs for electricity generation is a recent technique and works wonders for sustainable communities.
Retrofitting photovoltaic panels helps create solar roofs. The more panels are installed, the greater electricity production is possible for commercial use.
The EIA estimates commercial energy consumption to increase by 1.5% every year. This can greatly impact fuel consumption globally. Solar power helps lower fuel consumption by using solar energy to create electricity. The commercial sector has a huge takeaway from the technology as their energy consumption is more excessive than residential consumption.
Larsen Engineers believes in conserving as much energy as possible for future generations! Call us for a climate-smart community consultation!
Project Costs and Budget
The Pembina Institute issued a summary of the deep retrofitting of photovoltaic panels on commercial buildings. While the panels provide clean electricity, they could help with future budgeting and cash flows.
On-site retrofitting can generate more electricity without requiring excess acres. The cost of transportation and electricity distribution is also reduced. The technology is efficient in reducing power failures with its energy storage facilities.
Since 2018, 1,770 solar panel systems having a capacity of 14 megawatts have been installed in British Columbia, Canada. Even the cost of installation is decreasing as the technology becomes more popular. The cost of installing solar panels has come down 60% from their inception.
The Ease of Installation
With a retrofitting model, you add extra energy efficiency to your house while going for an efficient structural plan for your roof. Integrating solar panels within the roofs of commercial buildings is not a time-taking process. The panels can be directly fastened to the roof deck without drilling through the roof.
Reduced Energy Bills
You’re not consuming electricity from the grid anymore! This helps save energy costs and hefty energy bills. Commercial buildings can have their electricity production models retrofitted on their roofs. The mechanism is highly economic for beginner smart communities. Municipalities should also consider the mechanism for residential owners who can afford the photovoltaic cells.
We offer consultation for smart communities and environmental engineering projects. Reach out to us for community planning consultancy and construction management services.
The Huge Environmental Impact!
There’s no greenhouse gas emission during solar panel usage. PV systems have a life of around 30 years. This means the carbon emission and control model would come directly into effect with retrofitting solar panels on rooftops. Not just for commercial buildings, but installing PV systems on arid farmlands would benefit farmers with cheap energy as well.
For more advice on clean energy vehicles and smart community grant services, contact Larsen Engineers. The New York-based firm has worked with numerous government bodies to initiate energy conservation services for new communities. The LEED projects by the firm offer energy-saving solutions for housing and commercial properties.
To hire our services, call us at (585) 272.7310.
Why Do You Need Ace Structural Engineers for Sustainable Projects?
Sustainability means supporting and providing for ongoing ecosystems by substituting environmentally harmful activities with those that sustain the ecosystem. The process incorporates curbing down the usage of greenhouse gases, promoting the practices of recycling and upcycling. In terms of sustainable engineering projects, engineers are expected to develop infrastructure that will support the vision of sustainability for growing generations.
A few leading sustainable projects in the US include:
- The Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building Modernization
- The Gateway Center- SUNY-ESF College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry
- John and Frances Angeles Law Center
Almost all sustainable projects begin with the same cornerstones: the structural drawings. Here’s where a structural engineer comes in. A structural engineer is responsible for analyzing construction risk factors, construction strategies and performing calculations. A quality structural engineer would consider the fact that natural resource depletion has already harmed the ecosystem. Their services for the construction phase should seek natural resource preservation.
Here’s why you need ace structural engineers for sustainable projects.
To Support Your Zero-Waste Ideology
A competent team of structural engineers would design to reduce waste and incorporate more sustainable construction materials into the design plan. This also involves maximum utilization of resources and the structural planning and construction budget, including:
- Designing beam resistance such that it equals the load. If the safety codes are fully abided, the practice leads to cutting down the usage of extra construction material.
- Considering each structural unit separately helps constructors safe construction material. Many construction sites are required to be structurally innovative. They comprise geometric shapes and unique materials. The structural innovation here can help reduce concrete/timber/steel usage.
The present-day structural engineer has greater challenges at hand. Along with the global environmental perspective, they are also responsible for providing structural design and energy conservation solutions for today.
Only opt for construction management services that comprise a competent team of structural engineers.
Ace Structural Engineers Abide by the LEED Rating System
Competent structural designers are LEED-certified and understand the rating of each project on the LEED-provided parameters. The Leadership in Energy and Development Design (LEED) certification is developed by the US Green Building Council. The certification system is followed all over the world. Constructors and engineers keen on following the LEED-specified model tend to cater to all dimensions that need sustainable construction.
Specify Recycled Materials that Can be Used During Construction
Many construction projects in the UK and USA use recycled steel for construction. The initiative would greatly excess steel manufacturing for construction material. Similarly, sand and crushed glass for pavements and road slabs are also an option under much consideration. Quality structural engineers deal with material recycling and upcycling well. Their calculated construction designs make sure extra material is not ordered or is scattered throughout the construction site.
Community planning and infrastructure management call for an experienced and highly competent team of engineers. In business for decades, Larsen Engineers never disappoints when it comes to waste management engineering and energy-saving solutions. The Spruce Haven Farm and the Green Innovation Grant Program are some programs we have supervised and maintained for energy conservation.
To hire our service, call (585) 272.7310.
Zero energy homes
Zero Energy Homes are a superior and advanced building system with energy efficiency and on site solar panels. Learn more about zero energy homes here.
The Future of Solar Energy Technology
The global solar PV demand is expected to surge to 125.2 gigawatts by 2024. Since the demand for solar energy has been consistently increasing for the past decade, the technology is also becoming more advanced and cost-effective. According to research, the overall construction costs of solar power technologies will drop by a whopping 4.4% annually. The PV sector was expected to grow at the rate of 13% per year from 2020 to 2030.
New York’s Solar Market
According to a report published on March 22, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul has announced New York as the leading solar community market in the US. In New York, over one gigawatt of community solar is operational and sufficient to provide energy to 209,000 homes.
The state is reported to have the US’s biggest pipeline with several community solar projects in process, ensuring people’s continued access to clean economic solar in the coming years.
This announcement has substantially accelerated the progress towards accomplishing the goals of the Climate Act, i.e., the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The primary goal of the Climate Act is to leverage renewable sources to produce 70% of the state’s overall electricity and achieve approximately 10- gigawatts by 2030.
The Future of Solar
- As solar energy technology continues to advance further, electrification and decarbonization are expected to fully offset, and electricity prices are expected to stay constant by 2035 due to demand flexibility.
- The continued growth in the electricity demand may result in the electrification of several fuel-based systems such as vehicles, heating/cooling systems, and other industrial processes. By 2050, these electrified systems are predicted to be powered by zero-carbon electricity; thus reducing the carbon footprint of the business.
- When companies deploy solar power systems, they may get an opportunity to do the savings. It may also help them increase their energy resilience.
Looking for reliable solar power renewable energy services to develop Community Solar farms fo commercial scale – 2to 5 Mega Watt size, Larsen can help.?
At Larsen Engineers, we offer reliable solar panel installation services and consultation services to our clients at affordable prices.
Feel free to get in touch with us if you’re looking for a reputable solar energy consulting services provider in New York.
We also offer a range of other services, including but not limited to environmental engineering, structural engineering management, water and wastewater engineering, and more!
Benefits of Structural engineering
Structural Engineering is the key behind infrastructure developments in different fields. Check out some of the benefits of structural engineering and why you need to adopt it.
Different Types of Load in Structural Engineering
A force, distortion, or displacement applied to a structural part or component is referred to as a structural load. Structural analysis examines the effects of this force or load on buildings and structural elements. The excess load can result in structural failure, thus it’s important to account for it when designing a structure.
Different forms of structural loads can induce structural stress and deformation, resulting in structural issues or even structure failure. In this article, we’ll look at some of the different types of loads used in structural engineering.
Live Load
Live load is a phrase used in civil engineering to describe a force that can change. When individuals walk around in a house or a building, the weight of the burden is changeable or shifts positions. Because it can be moved around, everything within a structure that isn’t attached to the foundation can be considered a live load. The gravitational force of a building is calculated with live loads in mind.
Dead Load
The weight of the roof, walls, beams, and other structural components of a building make up the dead load, also known as permanent/static loads. These loads remain constant throughout, since these components are permanently affixed. Fixed non-structural dividers, immovable fixtures, and built-in cupboards can also all be considered dead loads.
Snow Load
Snow load is the weight that the build-up of snow can impose, and it’s a bigger concern worry in areas where snowfall is heavy and regular. Snow might accumulate in large amounts on rooftops, putting significant stress on the particular building. The design of the roof has a significant impact on the amount of snow that falls on it.
Wind Load
Air movement results in wind loads, and analyzing wind loads relies on understanding meteorology, aerodynamics, and construction. This is not a major concern for shorter structures, but it’s important for taller buildings and those which are made out of lighter materials.
Special Loads
Thermal Loads
These loads are created when materials contract or expand in response to temperature changes, which can cause large loads on a building.
Settlement Load
This form of load happens when one portion of a structure settles better than the others.
Flood Load
This is caused by flooding and water infiltration into the foundation, causing corrosion.
Soil/Fluid Load
This is caused by the excess flow of groundwater, affecting the density of the soil.
If you’re lookingfor an eco-friendlystructural engineering management service, get in touch with Larsen Engineers today. We have extensive experience and expertise in site development for commercial, residential, and parks &recreational facilities. We also offer other services like environmental engineering, site design and development, water and wastewater engineering, and more.
The Importance Of Energy Conservation
Energy Conservation is the smart and conscious decision to utilize less energy. Learn about the Importance of Energy Conservation.
