Oldcastle Precast was contracted by Synergy Electric to design, engineer and manufacture the precast solar panel ballasted foundations for the more than 6,000 solar panels that cover 6 acres. The $ 9 million NAVFAC solar energy project is located on top of an old landfill on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA, known as the Box Canyon Landfill. The Camp Pendleton solar project is the Navy’s largest photovoltaic system in San Diego County funded by federal stimulus money. The photovoltaic system will provide almost 1.5 mega watts of renewable energy, enough to provide electricity to power 400 homes.
Oldcastle Precast, the leader in the manufacture of precast concrete products, supplied the solar precast concrete ballasted foundations to Synergy Electric who was awarded the $ 9 million contract to construct the Navy’s largest photovoltaic system in existence. Synergy Electric owner, Diane Keltner, explained that to avoid disturbing the earth, the solar panels will be attached to frames anchored by precast concrete blocks, set in beds of gravel on the ground. She believes the design is likely to catch on, as people realize the panels can be installed without affecting the ground beneath.
Oldcastle Precast’s non-soil penetrating precast ballasted footings that support the solar panel assemblies are designed for use in the most demanding solar panel applications where the panels need to be secured on unstable, environmentally sensitive, or impenetrable ground conditions such as landfills, contaminated sites, or installations going in over bedrock.
AECOM is the architect of Record for this project.
Oldcastle Precast, Inc., the leading manufacturer of precast concrete, polymer concrete and plastic products in the United States, showcases their innovative patent pending precast ballasted footings for solar panel mounting. The patent pending footing designs are used for solar power systems that utilize Photovoltaic (PV) technologies such as fixed tilt, single axis, or dual axis trackers, or a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system, such as the parabolic trough.
Call 888-965-3227 today for technical specifications or product information, or visit our website at www.oldcastleprecast.com/solar
