Resiliency & Sustainability Planning

Town-Wide Solar Feasibility Assessment

gzachris — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 17:03:34 +0000

Town-Wide Solar Feasibility Assessment

Amherst, MA

gzachris Mon, 01/22/2024 - 12:03

Challenge

The Town of Amherst has set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and needs to develop additional renewable energy generation to meet those targets. Given the need to develop solar and protect open space, the Town wanted to better understand community sentiment surrounding solar development, systematically understand solar feasibility town-wide, and produce estimates of current land use areas to later generate solar development goals.

Solution

Using publicly available data GZA developed a fine-scale data layer characterizing solar feasibility throughout town based on four criteria:

Distance to the nearest 3-phase distribution line
Current capacity of the nearest 3-phase distribution line
Slope
Aspect

Land uses such as wetlands, roadways and rights-of-way, and properties with conservation restrictions were removed from the analysis to present a realistic characterization of the town. GZA developed this mapping layer and presented it at several committee meetings to engage and inform citizens about the process and considerations.

To help the town understand overall sentiment, GZA conducted an online survey about various solar development types across a variety of land uses. GZA hosted two in-person workshops. To broadly engage the community, workshop and survey notices were provided via direct mailings, fliers, and social and traditional media outlets and materials were available in multiple languages.

Benefit

GZA’s knowledge of available databases, land use regulations, and solar developer physical constraints helped the Client characterize solar feasibility town-wide in a systematic way for future use by residents, developers, and town officials. The map and its data can be used to generate estimates of solar development capacity by land type in coordination with the survey results to balance residents�� solar preferences with the need to quickly develop renewable energy.

GIS
Custom mapping and data analysis
Virtual and in-person community outreach
Hosted public workshops and presentations
Hosted online survey
Employed social media, traditional media, direct mailings, and fliers
Translation services

Massachusetts

Government

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Berry Street Battery Energy Storage System Special Permit

gzachris — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 16:50:43 +0000

Berry Street Battery Energy Storage System Special Permit

Brooklyn, NY

gzachris Mon, 01/22/2024 - 11:50

Background

Con Edison’s Water Street Network in Brooklyn is among its oldest electrical distribution networks. It has become stressed by the increasing electrical demands of robust real estate development and is increasingly impacted by extreme weather and coastal flooding events. To bolster the network’s reliability and resiliency, a private micro-utility, with approval from the New York Public Service Commission and Con Edison, proposed construction of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to reduce future brownouts and outages within the network by introducing increased capacity, flexibility, and control into the power microgrid.

Challenge

Construction of the BESS on the roof and exterior ground floor level of an existing seven-story residential building on Berry Street in densely populated, historic Brooklyn Community District 1 required a Special Permit (BSA §73-14) from the City of New York. It is the first such permit requested for a residential building. Residents of the building expressed numerous concerns which GZA’s planners addressed in the CEQR process.

Solution

GZA’s CEQR documentation included acoustic/noise/vibration studies; visual assessment and urban design; fire and blast analyses; extremely low frequency wave (ELF) generation analysis; and professional testimony.

The comprehensive acoustic/noise/vibration study included sound monitoring conducted at an existing facility in California to identify the sound generation properties of the components (including storage cubes, transformer, and inverters); using SoundPlan, a sound model was built; data was compared to NYC noise codes; and then tailored, custom-designed mitigations were developed to address exceedances. The visual assessment addressed shadows and urban design recommendations to reduce the visual impact of the facility on the adjacent park. A thorough fire and blast safety analysis was prepared as well as comprehensive research on the impact of ELF generated by the transformers. GZA planners attended public meetings to provide professional testimony on its analyses and findings. Negotiation between the private micro-utility and the building residents continues.

Benefit

GZA’s planners tackled a first-of-its-kind Special Permit, helping navigate the process to create small substations, which experts anticipate will become integral to reliable and resilient power distribution in densely populated urban areas with aging utility infrastructure.

Land use, resiliency planning
CEQR
Special permit (BSA §73-14) �� first of its kind
Microgrid
Acoustic/noise/vibration study
Visual assessment and urban design
Fire and blast analyses
Extremely Low Frequency wave (ELF) generation analysis
Professional testimony

New York

Energy

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Interactive Solar Site Selection ��Ϸ��bApp

gzadan — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:42:11 +0000

Interactive Solar Site Selection ��Ϸ��bApp gzadan Thu, 08/31/2023 - 10:42

Challenge

A solar developer with significant success developing rooftop solar arrays in the New Jersey Community Solar Program sought GZA’s assistance to identify potentially suitable landfills, brownfields, or other known contaminated sites to expand into ground-mounted solar arrays. With over 13,500 potential sites in New Jersey, the developer knew they needed an automated way to narrow their list.

Solution

Using publicly available data, GZA developed a GIS-based solar site suitability model as an ESRI ��Ϸ��b App. The App provided both pre-sorted and filtered sites based on the Client and NJ Community Solar preferences for parcels that were at least 15 acres after removing:

Steep slopes
��Ϸ��tland and vernal pool areas
Rare species areas
Contained some impervious cover

The ��Ϸ��bApp also provided the Client the ability to add additional filters themselves and select and sort by data attributes such as municipalities, counties, or utility service areas. The ��Ϸ��bApp provided a calculated distance to the nearest substation along with a direct link to the property card, and because these are primarily contaminated sites, a link to the NJ Dataminer website where the site cleanup records could be accessed.

Benefit

GZA’s knowledge of available databases and data analysis expertise helped the Client quickly cull a list of 13,500 properties to 432 sites likely to be suitable for solar development. The ��Ϸ��bApp provided a user-friendly interface that could be customized to ask and answer new questions about the data to more fully investigate a potential site before contacting a property owner or manager.

GIS
ESRI Story Map
Data analysis
Local solar program knowledge
User friendly app and database provided to client
Efficient analysis saved client significant effort, time, and cost

New Jersey

Energy

Data Management, Analytics and Visualization Solutions

Land Use and Environmental Planning

L’Oréal Biodiversity Assessments

gzadan — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 19:50:04 +0000

L’Oréal Biodiversity Assessments gzadan Fri, 06/10/2022 - 15:50

L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics company, established a global sustainability initiative, “L’Oréal for the Future,�� which strives for 100% of their industrial facilities to document measurable increases in biodiversity within their local environment by 2030.

Challenge

Increases in biodiversity can only truly be measured against a baseline of the current physical landscape and bio-ecologic attributes. Establishing this baseline at each site is critical to the measurability and success of the project.

Solution

GZA has recently completed a three-season (spring, summer, fall), 16-site survey of L’Oréal distribution and production facilities, including 14 in the U.S. and two in Canada. A baseline evaluation of biodiversity at each facility is being established, using a variety of standard techniques to survey wildlife. An arsenal of specialty wildlife survey equipment was deployed, including acoustic bat monitors, wildlife live traps, game cameras, avian vocalization recordings, high-intensity entomological lights, and malaise traps, to document a large cross section of taxa groups. Communication with stakeholders at the local and corporate levels has also been maintained through blog posts and photographs of site inventories as well as informal presentations to each site’s management group. Proposing and designing ecological improvements at each facility �� whether leased or owned, situated within a densely industrial area surrounded by pavement, on a sprawling corporate setting with sterile, manicured sod, or amidst a rural environment with plentiful fields �� to strive to double each site’s biodiversity score will constitute the next phase of the project. L’Oréal’s vision is that each site be adaptively managed to reach its bio-ecologic potential.

Benefit

GZA’s comprehensive baseline data and assessment provides the foundation for L’Oréal’s progress towards increased biodiversity at each site. The ongoing communication with stakeholders facilitates engagement and enthusiasm for the project and the company’s sustainability goals.

Biodiversity assessments
Supports corporate sustainability goals
Multi-site project
Stakeholder engagement
Fast-moving project

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Rose Larisa Park Living Shoreline Protection

gzadan — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 16:02:19 +0000

Rose Larisa Park Living Shoreline Protection gzadan Mon, 08/24/2020 - 12:02

The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) received funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Resiliency Grant Program to increase coastal resilience and reduce risk to people, infrastructure and natural resources in coastal communities by building and monitoring nature-based coastal infrastructure throughout New England. TNC raised additional matching funds with grants from 11th Hour Racing and the RI Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust Fund, administered by CRMC. The objective of the program is to identify and test living solutions to improve shoreline protection and monitor the results over time. The Rhode Island project included the construction and monitoring of two bluff erosion control treatments for the purpose of stabilizing the bluff and creating salt marsh for beach protection at Rose Larisa Park in East Providence, RI.

Challenge

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) teamed with SumCo Eco-Contracting of Peabody, MA to provide engineering design, permitting support, and construction services for the design and construction of two bluff erosion control treatments including a biodegradable shoreline with appropriate plantings and an intertidal sill along the beach below the bluff at the park on the Providence River.

Solution

GZA completed a site visit and reviewed the provided topographic survey of the beach and bluff area to establish the base plan for the design of the treatments. Design plans were developed and reviewed with TNC and CRMC. GZA also provided sketches for inclusion in permitting documents prepared by TNC and CRMC. Following reviews and approvals, the construction of the proposed designs was completed. Construction was performed by SumCo Eco-Contracting under the watchful eye of The Nature Conservancy. Volunteers from CRMC, TNC and Save the Bay helped with planting efforts during construction.

Benefit

The installation of the living shoreline protections will be monitored for their efficacy and resilience over time. The success of these treatments will help determine if these methods will be utilized more frequently for shoreline protection in Rhode Island and throughout New England.

Completed site visits and reviewed available topographic survey to establish base condition
Prepared design documents for review and approvals
Assisted in preparation of permit documents
Provided Construction Phase Services

Water

Waterfront and Coastal Engineering

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Natural Hazard Risk Management, Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Flood Hardening Program, Confidential Utility

Anonymous — ��Ϸ��d, 25 Sep 2019 16:58:55 +0000

Flood Hardening Program, Confidential Utility Anonymous ��Ϸ��d, 09/25/2019 - 12:58

Challenge

Electric substation facilities are among the most critical elements to our nation’s power infrastructure. Recent flood impacts and forecasts of more frequent severe weather events prompted one long-standing major utility client to request GZA’s assistance in creating a Flood Hardening Program to improve the flood resiliency of 50+ existing inland and coastal facilities in four states.

Solution

GZA’s comprehensive services spanned from program development to implementation and operation. Our scientists and engineers started with tracking Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and relevant map amendments and revisions; reviewed current and archived facility plans; performed site visits with key stakeholders; researched flooding history; and completed a frequency / damage flood risk analysis for each site. At locations where a FIRM was not available or did not appear to represent current topography or flood risk, GZA performed hydraulic, and coastal hydrologic analyses to determine the 100-year (Base Flood Elevation) and 500-year flood elevation to assess potential impacts of flood barriers to facilities and floodways and submitted Letters of Map Amendments / Revisions to FEMA. After completing the research and analyses, GZA prioritized site needs and developed concepts and designs for flood hardening measures that fell into three general categories:

Long-term (permanent) flood hardening measures provide longer service life, require little or no storm response, and incorporate flood hardening into the substation design for optimal operations and maintenance (O&M). This approach requires the longest lead time for planning, design, permitting, and construction, and typically incurs the largest capital cost. GZA conducted detailed analysis of multiple civil design hardening alternative concepts, including one or more concepts involving installing a barrier system, raising select components, re-building at a higher elevation, or a combination. The analyses included estimated capital and design life costs, project durations, and associated risks and opportunities for each concept, followed with a ranking system to assist with the Client’s selection process.

Long-term measures have been implemented at several substations, and are planned for several more. Short-term flood hardening measures have been implemented at those substations where permanent hardening measures require long-term planning, design and construction.

Short-term (temporary) flood hardening measures have been implemented at eight substations, and are planned at three more. The short-term hardening is completed at those substations in order of highest to lowest priority in terms of flood risk and damage potential. Short-term flood hardening measures are designed with a three- to 10-year service life, and effectively reduce flood risk and damage potential until long-term measures are completed. GZA has provided support from planning through construction and operations. These temporary engineering solutions are barrier, sealing, and pumping systems designed to reduce the need for emergency manpower and equipment response prior to, and during storm events, and recovery efforts after storm events.

Interim measures are rapid-deployment barrier and pump systems established early in the flood program to protect the most critical substation components from flooding events before either the long-term or short-term hardening measures are in-place. Interim measures are portable barrier and pumping systems designed to be implemented with minimal heavy equipment and little to no site preparation or excavation. Implementation of the interim measures are more heavily reliant on manpower response. Training exercises, including mock-ups of various flood barrier systems, provided realistic guidance to assist in selecting the appropriate barrier and pump systems for each substation, and in allocating the necessary manpower and equipment resources to effectively implement the interim measures in the event of a forecasted flood event.

For each of the measures, GZA continues to interface with the client’s key stake holders including regulators, material vendors, permitting consultants, external contractors, and the client’s civil and electrical engineering, project management, O&M, construction, material staging, legal, environmental, procurement, and executive teams. Key stakeholder input, along with a solid leadership team, and GZA’s multi-disciplined design group effectively navigated the evaluation, permitting, design, construction, and implementation of all three categories of flood hardening measures. GZA’s follow-up services include engineering services during construction, as-built documentation, Activation and O&M Plans, and supporting the Client with training, storm forecasting, emergency response, and O&M. GZA also continuously re-evaluates flood risk and damage to reflect on-going substation improvements, FEMA’s FIRM updates, and updates in policy, regulation, and industry practice pertaining to future risk associated with climate change.

Benefit

GZA’s experience in flood hazard mitigation, civil engineering, and permitting support for power sector clients, as well as the firm’s keen knowledge of the regulatory environment in the client’s service territory, allowed work to proceed expeditiously. This utility’s existing and future substations will now be significantly more resilient, and their customers far less likely to experience outages or prolonged service restoration due to flooding.

Insights

Assessed Flood Vulnerability of 50+ Electrical Substations in Four States
Intensive Involvement with the Community, Industry and Regulators
Flood Risk Analyses, FEMA FIRM Letter of Map Amendments / Revisions
Long-Term, Short-Term, and Interim Flood Hardening Measures
Programming, Planning, Permitting, Design, Pre-Construction, Construction, and O&M Services
Storm Forecasting, Readiness and Response Support

Energy

Water

Transportation & Infrastructure

Natural Hazard Risk Management, Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Construction Management

City of Northampton Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 13:29:26 +0000

City of Northampton Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan Anonymous Tue, 09/24/2019 - 09:29

Challenge

GZA was selected to advance the City of Northampton’s Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan by providing conceptual to final construction-ready design of green infrastructure solutions to improve flood control and stormwater management during extreme weather events.

Solution

GZA is collaborating with the City of Northampton’s Office of Planning & Sustainability and Department of Public Works on this project, funded in part with a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant Program. At each of 10 locations, GZA studied existing engineering reports and conducted hydrologic and hydraulic modeling as needed. GZA’s feasibility assessment identified potential project benefits (including improved stormwater quality, reduction in potential flooding and storm damage, ecological enhancement, and educational opportunities) and challenges (including maintenance, permitting, subsurface conditions, and access). A conceptual-level cost opinion was also developed.

In keeping with the City’s goal to use nature-based solutions for climate resiliency, green infrastructure elements, such as berms, swales, rain gardens and pervious surfaces were incorporated into GZA’s conceptual designs to detain and retain stormwater runoff. The City has prioritized the projects based on feasibility, cost, and effectiveness in mitigating flood hazards and property damage to nearby roads, homes, and businesses. Conceptual designs selected by the City are being advanced to 100% construction-ready design plans.

Benefit

GZA’s analysis and designs will not only improve the City’s stormwater quality and reduce flooding but will provide demonstration projects to inform additional resiliency projects.

Insights

Resiliency planning
Nature-based solutions
Stormwater green infrastructure
Hydrologic & hydraulic analysis
Engineering design
Conceptual-level cost opinions
��Ϸ��tland delineation & permitting
Community outreach
Funded by MA Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant

Massachusetts

Water

Government

Natural Hazard Risk Management, Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Water Resources

Energy and Sustainability Services

Long Wharf Flood Protection Study and Living Shoreline Design

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 14:07:14 +0000

Long Wharf Flood Protection Study and Living Shoreline Design Anonymous Mon, 09/23/2019 - 10:07

Challenge

The Long Wharf area of New Haven, located within FEMA VE and AE high risk flood hazard zones, is highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. It has historically experienced severe flooding and flood damage from hurricanes and extreme weather events dating to the Hurricane of 1938 and more recently during Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. Improved resilience to coastal flooding is imperative to the social, economic and ecological resilience of the City of New Haven and the region.

Solution

GZA implemented a flood protection study in the Long Wharf District of New Haven. The District consists of two distinct areas in their character and use: the waterfront shoreline and the industrial district. The Long Wharf Flood Protection Study included planning and design of coastal flooding mitigation and shoreline protection measures for the area located northwest of the Long Wharf shoreline to Union Avenue. An inter-disciplinary team led by GZA completed a detailed flood vulnerability analysis in the project area. Based on the results of the vulnerability analysis, the team identified flood control strategies that not only addressed economic concerns related to business disruption after flooding but also identified ways in which the flood mitigation alternatives benefit the general public by creating a visionary plan for the City to improve social, economic, and ecological resilience to sea level rise, local intense precipitation, storm surge, and erosion. GZA’s project team includes Utile, Biohabitats, and Cambridge Systematics.

GZA’s project approach was multidisciplinary, and the team:

Incorporated industry-accepted science for sea level rise and coastal flooding;
Performed statistical analysis on historical storm surge flood level data from relevant water level stations, such as those from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA);
Used high resolution terrain data (post-Sandy);
Completed high resolution, hydrodynamic computer flood modeling to characterize coastal flooding and its effect on structures and natural features;
Created scenario-based flood maps to evaluate the vulnerability of the area to tides and storm surges;
Managed all information using Esri ArcGIS geographic information system (GIS) software;
Used a “risk-based�� approach, defining coastal flood hazards in terms of probability, consistent with methods currently being used by state and federal agencies; and
Identified resiliency strategies and alternatives that are consistent with City of New Haven’s current vision and plans for development.

The design includes an integrated approach to flood protection, shore protection, and environmental and ecological benefits, including a seawall, a buried revetment, timber walkway, beach nourishment and wetland enhancement, tidal flats, and oyster reef submerged breakwaters. This plan also creates a new level of access and usability of the shoreline by the public.

Benefit

The study identified strategies relevant to the character of the neighborhoods and areas to reduce coastal flooding in the district. It is also used as a road map for the City for creating social, economic, and ecological resilience in relation to future sea level rise impacts, storm surge, and erosion.

GZA’s permit-level design for the proposed Long Wharf Flood and Shoreline Protection project enables the City of New Haven to move forward quickly with final design and construction as funding is secured. The comprehensive analysis and design acknowledges that a resilient New Haven is critical to Connecticut and creates the resiliency features necessary to foster social, economic, and ecological health of the area.

Insights

US HUD CDBG-Disaster Recovery Grant
FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant
Review of Existing Plans
Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
Adaptation Options Analysis
Stakeholder Identification and Engagement
Public Information Meetings
Living Shoreline Design
Feasibility Analysis of Flood Mitigation Strategies

Connecticut

Water

Government

Waterfront and Coastal Engineering

Natural Hazard Risk Management, Climate Adaptation and Resilience

Land Use and Environmental Planning

Natural Resources and Ecological Services

Data Management, Analytics and Visualization Solutions

Resiliency & Sustainability Planning

Town-Wide Solar Feasibility Assessment

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Berry Street Battery Energy Storage System Special Permit

Background

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Interactive Solar Site Selection ������Ϸ����bApp

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

L’Oréal Biodiversity Assessments

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Rose Larisa Park Living Shoreline Protection

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Flood Hardening Program, Confidential Utility

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

City of Northampton Climate Resiliency and Regeneration Plan

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Long Wharf Flood Protection Study and Living Shoreline Design

Challenge

Solution

Benefit

Interactive Solar Site Selection ��Ϸ��bApp