Rainy River Solar
Rainy River First Nations Solar LP
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Canada
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2013–2015
25 MWAC.
135,000 PV modules.
210 acres.
13,000 helical piles.
Challenges
- Rainy River First Nations Solar LP set out to build a 210-acre, 25-MW solar farm in Canada's north.
- The project comprised of three smaller developments (two 10-MW sites and one 5-MW site). Each site required a separate feed-in-tariff contract, renewable energy approval, and substation.
- Temperatures are below ˗40°C for much of the year, so there were design and construction challenges related to deep frost and exposure limits.
Solutions
- Acted as full-time, on-site owner's engineer.
- Provided detailed design basis, noise study documentation, regulatory applications and permit alignment, energy output assessment, and system modeling.
- Implemented custom inverter housings and the longest piling foundation ever used in Ontario to overcome deep frost challenges.
Highlights
- 13,000 helical piles used that could withstand potential frost heave while still allowing cost-effective and timely installation.
- Significant participation from local First Nations communities; Rainy River First Nations was majority project owner and formed a significant part of the project labor force alongside other local communities.
- Project outperforming expectations.
Project numbers
41,000 MW hours of electricity per year20-year power purchase agreement
C$132.5 million CAPEX
3,900 households powered