nist 5 mw solar array

NCPC Submission ‐ Enclosure No. 1

NIST 5 MW SOLAR ARRAY

NCPC PROJECT REPORT

1.0 AGENCY PROJECT MANAGER Mr. John R. Bollinger, PE Capital Asset Management and Facilities Planning Group Leader Office of Facilities & Property Management National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899‐1900

[email protected] (301) 975‐5014

1.1 BACKGROUND

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a bureau within the U.S. Department of Commerce, operates and maintains a 579-acre scientific research campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The site contains 64 buildings with over 3.5 million gross square feet of research, office, and support space. The nation’s premier metrology center, NIST works with industry and science to advance innovation and improve quality of life.

As a leading international scientific research agency, NIST has actively worked towards implementing Executive Order 13693 (EO 13693) issued on March 15, 2015 to reduce the Federal government’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase clean energy production. EO 13693 Federal agency goals include:

1. Ensuring that “clean energy,” including “renewable or alternative energy,” accounts for not less than 25% of building energy by the year 2025.

2. Ensuring that “renewable energy” accounts for at least 30% of the total amount of building electric energy consumption by the year 2025.

3. Installing, contracting for and purchasing agency-funded “renewable energy” for federal facilities.

4. Installing, contracting for and purchasing agency-funded “alternative energy” for federal facilities.

To meet these goals, NIST intends to implement a number of energy conservation and alternative energy projects. One of the proposed projects is the construction and operation of a 5 megawatt (5 MW) array of solar photovoltaic panels at the south end of the NIST Gaithersburg Campus (Figures 1 and 2).

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Figure 1. NIST Gaithersburg Locational Map


Figure 2. Campus Map showing approximate location of 5 MW Solar Array


Figure 3. Detailed plan of the NIST 5 MW Solar Array located between Bldg. 235 and Muddy Branch Road

1.2 PROPOSED NEW 5 MW SOLAR ARRAY This project proposes the installation of a 5 MW Direct Current (DC) array of solar photovoltaic panels. The proposed location of this 5 MW system is in an open field east of Building 235 (Figures 2 and 3) on the NIST Gaithersburg Site. The array is planned to cover approximately 15.4 acres.

As designed, the project will have:

▪ 14,700 solar panels installed on steel support structures, ▪ Electrical inverters and transformers installed on two 10-foot by 30-foot concrete pads, ▪ Approximately one-quarter mile of underground electric conduit linking the solar

array to the nearest connection point to the NIST electric system, ▪ Gravel maintenance roads (12’ wide) crossing the array north-south and east west, ▪ An 8’ black vinyl perimeter fence around the array, and ▪ A largely indistinguishable view from nearby Muddy Branch Road.


Significantly, the entire solar array will be constructed under an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) for which NIST will engage a contractor who will build, install, and maintain ownership and operation of, as well as maintenance, repair, and replacement responsibilities of the equipment for approximately 20 years. The solar array will be constructed with no upfront capital costs from NIST. Without such an ESPC funding arrangement, it would be financially impossible for NIST to fund this project any time soon. Through a revocable real property license, however, NIST will provide access to the land where the system will be built and will commit to purchasing all of the electricity produced by the solar array at a reduced unit electric rate for the 20-year contract period. After the 20-year contract period, NIST will take ownership of the array. The 5 MW solar array is expected to generate approximately 6,799 MWh of electricity annually. The solar array will be connected directly to the NIST-owned electrical distribution system. This 5 MW system is anticipated to generate 5% of the electricity used at the campus.

Anticipated environmental impacts resulting from this project include: ▪ The solar array requires a commitment of approximately 15.4 acres of land on the

NIST Site. ▪ Temporary increases in air emissions and noise will occur during the construction of

the solar array. Air emissions will include construction vehicle exhaust and particulate dust from installation operations. Construction noise will result primarily from the installation (hammering) of solar panel support structures.

▪ Temporary impacts to storm water quality will be expected from land grading activities required for the installation. There is a potential for disturbed soils to runoff in storm water and impact local streams. Impacts will be mitigated by implementing erosion and sedimentation controls approved by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

▪ Approximately 52 trees will be removed to allow for the installation of the solar array. Over 100 trees, of a mixture species that are native to this area, will be planted in adjacent areas to replace the trees removed.

▪ Long term environmental impacts to air emissions will be positive. It is estimated that the solar array will produce 6,799 MWh of electricity annually with no resulting air emissions. Producing this amount of electricity through the solar array will reduce NIST’s greenhouse gas emissions by over 3,700 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

▪ The economic impact is positive for both NIST and local businesses. Based on the expected production of 6,799 MWh per year, NIST expects to save over $700,000/year on electricity when compared to its current electric bills. There are no upfront capital expenses for NIST since this project is being built under an energy saving performance contract. The project will provide long term income for the local businesses that operate and maintain the array and subsequently sell the electricity produced to NIST.


1.3 TOTAL AREA OF SITE AND ALLOCATION OF LAND TO PROPOSED USES

The NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland site is a 578.5‐acre research campus containing over 3.5 million gross square feet of research, office, and support space. The proposed 5 MW solar array is planned for a much smaller, undeveloped 15.4 acre parcel located at the south end of the campus, east of Building 235 and west of Muddy Branch Road. The resultant site therefore represents less than 3% (three percent) of the whole campus. Undeveloped meadows and woodlands appear mainly in the eastern, southeastern and southwestern portions of the campus. Figure 2 shows the site map and general location of the proposed solar array. Land use at the Gaithersburg Site is estimated as follows:

▪ Total area: 578.5 acres ▪ Grassy areas: 400 acres ▪ Forested areas: 67 acres ▪ Paved parking areas: 19 acres ▪ Built area: 78.6 acres ▪ Roadways: approximately 7 miles (9.3 acres)

The NIST Gaithersburg campus is planned with regards to the NIST Master Plan Update (2009) as well as under the Montgomery County Gaithersburg West Master Plan (MCPD, 2009). An update to the NIST Gaithersburg campus master plan is currently in progress and is targeted for completion in 2018. NIST is classified as one of six “enclaves” within Montgomery County. The “enclaves” are defined by the Gaithersburg West Master Plan as geographic areas of Montgomery County surrounded by a municipality. These enclaves were created over time due to municipal annexations. The NIST Gaithersburg campus is enclosed by an eight-foot fence and surrounded on three sides by busy highways, and commercial and residential developments. The properties adjacent to NIST are mostly comprised of suburban residential, corporate and retail development. Of note, NIST currently has multiple smaller solar PV systems installed on the Gaithersburg campus, totaling about 600 kW.


Figure 4. View of the Solar Array Site – looking South from the Robotics Building

Figure 5. View of the Solar Array Site – looking North from the South, with Center Drive

visible to the left


1.4 AREA OF BUILDING AND SITE COVERAGE

The site coverage projected by this array is 15.4-acres. Resulting from an iterative conceptual design process, various sizes and locations for solar arrays were considered. The 5 MW sized array on a 15.4-acre parcel has been found to be the most efficient and cost effective for the available space. Other locations were considered for the solar array panels, including the mounting of arrays on canopies constructed overtop of existing parking lots, and the mounting of arrays on building rooftops. Notably, it is a mandatory requirement for the preferred alternative to completely pay for itself through the electric energy cost savings over the life of the 20-year contract term. This is a requirement cited in the Energy Saving Performance Contract (ESPC) federal funding authority. Unfortunately, other solar array mounting alternatives (e.g. carport canopies and rooftop installations) were not able to meet this requirement. With the preferred proposed 15.4-acre location, the connection to electric infrastructure is simple (nearby and requiring only one connection), less costly, and can meet the ESPC legislation’s directed payback terms of 20 years. While a few, small individual facility improvement projects have incorporated the installation of rooftop solar array projects, NIST has determined from these experiences that drawbacks include: ▪ Required roof penetrations become sources of water leaks; ▪ As building roofs are periodically repaired/replaced, the associated rooftop mounted

solar array must be removed and later reinstalled during the re-roofing process, adding to the project’s lifecycle costs;

▪ Electric equipment is required to be installed in multiple buildings to tie an array into each building’s electrical network system; and

▪ For most NIST laboratory buildings, the rooftop is a preferred location to position scientific research equipment.

Ultimately, there were two primary reasons pointing to the proposed site of the solar array: ▪ This plot of land has building restrictions set upon it for safety reasons related to the

research being conducted in adjacent buildings. NIST must minimize the number of occupied buildings and the number of people working in this area. Supporting this restriction, the current and proposed NIST campus master plan does not show any buildings planned for this grassy area, and has set aside the general area for a possible solar array project to be constructed.

▪ NIST wants to fully support EO 13693 by increasing the percentage of clean and renewable energy that the campus uses, especially when the generating facility can be constructed on NIST’s federally owned land. Recognizing there are better economies of scale involved when a single generating facility can be constructed versus several smaller solar arrays, NIST saw the opportunity to build a single, large solar array in this grassy area east of Building 235. Instead of requiring electric equipment to be installed in several separate locations for smaller arrays, a consolidated 15.4-acre solar


array project would only require one location to tie into the campus’s electrical network system.

1.5 EMPLOYMENT

The proposed project will not increase future federal nor contractor employment. Over the two decade period of performance, limited contractor personnel will visit the project location in order to perform contractually required maintenance, operations and inspections.

1.6 RELATIONSHIP TO NIST’S MASTER PLAN

The proposed 15.4 acre 5 MW solar array field was not included in the NIST Master Plan approved by the National Capital Planning Commission on December 4, 2009 since it has been designed in response to the more recent (2015) EO13693 to reduce greenhouse gases. The proposed solar array is part of the current Gaithersburg Draft Master Plan which NIST plans to present to the NCPC in 2018 for its review and comment. There will be no impacts to the existing roadways. The facility’s setbacks are all consistent with campus design guidelines.

1.6.1 Land Use Impacts: The land is currently open grassy area and will remain grass covered around the supports for the solar panels. The rows of panels will be separated sufficiently (the separation distance will equal the horizontal width of the solar panels, approximately 12 feet) to allow storm water infiltration (See Section 1.6.4) and grass mowing / trimming equipment access. This land will not be available for any other use.

1.6.2 Visual Impacts

▪ Aesthetics

The solar array will have minimal impact on the appearance of the NIST campus from on and off-site. Due to the topography and the relatively low profile of the solar array, the impacts are not expected to be significant. The existing appearance of rolling grassy hills and scattered trees of the existing site will be minimally altered as projected in Figures 6 and 7. As noted earlier, however, no significant views of the NIST campus will be impacted.

▪ Glare

The potential for glare issues would be greatest during mornings and evenings when the sun is closer to the horizon and the reflections could have impacts at ground level. When the sun is higher in the sky, the angle of reflection would direct any reflections upward and above any locations where individuals might be impacted. Based on the location of the solar panels and the facing direction (southward), the primary areas where glare could potentially be observed would be the


southernmost portions of the NIST site and on a portion of Muddy Branch Road just southeast of the solar array. The following issues are considered in assessing the potential for glare from this project: ▪ Photovoltaic panels are designed to absorb sunlight to generate electricity. The

panels being used for this project have multiple layers of anti-reflective coatings. Over two thirds of the sunlight is absorbed by the panels.

Figure 6. Proposed View of the Solar Array from 100 yards inside the Fence at East Drive

Figure 7. Proposed View of the Solar Array from the Corner of East Drive and Muddy Branch Road


▪ The terrain around the proposed solar array site is generally hilly and at a higher elevation than Muddy Branch Road. The facing (southward) direction of the panels’ installation (Figure 3), the horizontal angle of the panels’ installation (a tilt of 25 degrees), and the existing terrain of hills and trees on and around the proposed project site are expected to minimize any potential for glare to impact Muddy Branch Road (photos of the current view of the proposed solar array site from Muddy Branch Road are shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10).

Figure 8. Current View of the proposed NIST Solar Array Site from Muddy Branch and Pensacola Drive (see Figure 3. - Map)

1.6.3 Air Quality The long-term air quality impacts of the 5 MW solar array will be positive. The solar array is estimated to generate 6,799 MWh of electricity per year with no resulting air emissions. Emissions of greenhouse gases due to the generation of electricity used at NIST are expected to be reduced by over 3,700 tons per year. 1.6.4 Water Erosion and sediment control shall be implemented in accordance with the requirements of a Maryland Department of the Environment issued permit during all construction related ground disturbance.


Figure 9. Current view of the proposed Solar Array Site from Muddy Branch Road between Pensacola Drive and Palm Springs Drive

Figure 10. Current view of the proposed Solar Array Site from the corner of Muddy Branch Road and Palm Springs Drive


Regarding long term storm water impacts, the 5 MW solar array shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of Maryland Storm Water Design Manual to control storm water runoff. (See Attachment B of enclosed draft EA ). Solar panels will be spaced sufficiently to allow natural infiltration of storm water into the soil, and the ground slope in the project area will be less than 5%. No decrease in storm water quality or increase in storm water runoff quantity is expected after construction is complete for the 5 MW solar array.

1.6.5 Biological Resources

Approximately 15.4 acres of open grassland currently available to deer and other wildlife will

be fenced off and primarily covered with solar panels. The NIST Gaithersburg Site currently has approximately 400 acres of open grassland and approximately 67 forested acres. The loss of 15.4 acres of open grassland resulting from the installation of the 5 MW solar array is not expected to have a significant impact on the wildlife at the site due to the amount of open grassland and forested area that will remain.

Approximately 52 mature trees will be removed to allow for the installation of the solar

array. For each tree removed with a trunk caliper of 24 inches or less, two trees that each

have a 2-1/2 to 3-inch caliper will be planted. For each tree removed that has a trunk caliper

of greater than 24 inches, three trees that each have a 2-1/2 to 3-inch caliper will be planted.

The species of the trees planted will be a mixture that are native to this area. Newly planted tress shall be watered and maintained for at least one year to ensure their survival.

1.6.6 Cultural Impacts

In July 2017, NIST coordinated a review of this proposed project by the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT). The MHT concurred with a finding of “no adverse effects” to historic sites. (See Attachment C of enclosed draft EA).

1.7 COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES

This project will not have an adverse environmental or socioeconomic impact on the existing surrounding community facilities and services. In fact, the projected 5% energy savings will make NIST less dependent upon the local electricity provider (Pepco).

1.8 SCHEDULES FOR CONSTRUCTION AND OCCUPANCY

Construction is scheduled to commence in February 2018, with operation of the array to commence before the close of calendar year 2018.

1.9 ESTIMATED COST OF PROJECT AND FUNDING STATUS

There are no upfront capital expenses for NIST since this project is being built under an


energy saving performance contract. It is a mandatory requirement under this type of federal procurement authority that the project completely pay for itself through the electric energy cost savings over the life of the 20 year contract term.

The economic impact is positive for both NIST and local businesses. Based on the expected production of 6,799 MWh per year, NIST expects to save over $700,000/year on electricity when compared to its current electric bills. The project will provide long term income for the local businesses that operate and maintain the array and subsequently sell the electricity produced to NIST.

1.10 TRANSPORTATION

This project will not increase traffic to the front gate of the campus since no additional personnel will be assigned and the number of visitors to the campus is not contingent on the operation of this facility.

Minimal additional traffic along both Quince Orchard and Muddy Branch Roads will result only during the construction period activities.

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