.svg)
Contact Us
RIC Development, LLC
17 State Street, Suite 2320 New York NY 10004
Our APPROACH
Environment
Our responsible approach to solar development
Since submitting the project in 2024, RIC Energy has continued working with the Town of Gainesville, its consultants and community members to study, review and refine the proposal. We are committed to a transparent process and to meeting every applicable requirement before construction can begin.
Hardship waiver
Requested/pending
Compliant
SEQR environmental review
In progress
Compliant
Special Use Permit
Pending
Compliant
Site plan approval
Pending
Compliant
Technical studies
Completed
Compliant
Community
Preserving the character of Gainesville
Visual Aesthetics
A Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) report analyzes the visibility of the project from roadways, adjacent properties, and publicly accessible locations. Conducted in March 2024 to document the sight lines when leaves are off the surrounding trees.
It was determined that the Gainesville Solar Project is visible from many of the six locations due to the Project’s elevation. While there is a plan to plant a buffer of trees along the perimeter of the site, due to the elevation of the site, such a planting buffer would not block views into the site from the north and east.
Acoustic assessment
The Project areas were subjected to a noise assessment to determine the decibel levels at given distances from the Project’s equipment.
During the Project’s operation, concurrent operation of the solar plant site components and equipment was assumed to be limited to daytime hours only. After sunset, when the plant no longer receives solar radiation, the transformer will be in a lower power mode, the inverters will not produce noise, and the pad-mounted transformer will be energized but likely operating under low noise condition using natural draft cooling (no fans) due to reduced nighttime heat loads.
The results of the Noise Impact Analysis indicate the sound from the site is considered very quiet at all 4 Reception Points. The equivalent sound level heard at each of these Reception Points would range from a quiet library, soft whisper (15 feet) to a typical wilderness area.
Sheep grazing for Vegetative Maintenance
In response to the Town’s interest in maintaining agricultural activity on the property, RIC Energy is exploring the potential for sheep grazing for vegetation management within the solar facility. This practice, known as agrivoltaics, allows solar energy production and agriculture to occur on the same land.
RIC Energy has a strong relationship with agrivoltaics industry professionals in Western New York. This site has been selected as a optimal candidate for agrivoltaics to maintain agricultural use throughout the project’s life.
No final grazing commitment has been made. Any program would depend on the final project design, operational requirements, animal welfare considerations and an agreement with a qualified agricultural partner.
Benefits of Agrivoltaics
- Keeps land in agricultural use
- Supports responsible vegetation management
- Utilizes and supports local farms
- Supports the ties with the larger agricultural community of the town
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
Installation Process and Proper Maintenance
The tentative construction schedule assumes that mobilization and construction would commence 2-4 weeks after a building permit is approved. The expected overall timeline for construction and commissioning is approximately 18-20 weeks.
Construction is generally divided into several phases:
01
Mobilization
1 Week
Mobilization of construction crews and delivery of initial construction equipment.
02
Site Preparation
and Civil Work
and Civil Work
3 Weeks
This phase starts with the implementation of erosion and sedimentation control measures being put in place prior to the start of construction. It continues with clearing and grading as well as the construction of the driveway and interior access road for the Projects.
03
Mechanical
installation
installation
10 Weeks
This phase includes the installation of solar racking, which for this project is a single-axis tracker. The installation begins with post-driving, which is the only type of construction work that will generate higher noise levels but is limited only to 1-2 weeks and will be conducted within regular working day hours, to not cause any significant disruption to neighbors.
The rest of the activities include installation of the solar trackers, PV modules, inverters, transformers, etc. None of these activities generate any excessive noise, dust, or other forms of disturbance to the surrounding neighbors.
The rest of the activities include installation of the solar trackers, PV modules, inverters, transformers, etc. None of these activities generate any excessive noise, dust, or other forms of disturbance to the surrounding neighbors.
04
Electrical
installation
installation
6 Weeks
Electrical work includes the installation of underground cables, wiring and termination of above ground cables on the solar trackers (connecting all modules into strings and connecting them to the inverters), wiring and termination of grid interconnection facilities.
05
QA/QC
inspections and
Commissioning
inspections and
Commissioning
Regular quality assurance and stormwater management inspections will be implemented throughout the construction and installation period. Once all systems are installed and connected, a dedicated third-party engineering crew, along with the utility’s engineers, will conduct the final inspections and testing procedures before the system can be placed into operation and start generating and exporting energy into the grid.
01
Mobilization
1 Week
Mobilization of construction crews and delivery of initial construction equipment.
02
Site Preparation
and Civil Work
and Civil Work
3 Weeks
This phase starts with the implementation of erosion and sedimentation control measures being put in place prior to the start of construction. It continues with clearing and grading as well as the construction of the driveway and interior access road for the Project.
03
Mechanical
installation
installation
10 Weeks
This phase includes the installation of solar racking, which for this project is a single-axis tracker. The installation begins with post-driving, which is the only type of construction work that will generate higher noise levels but is limited only to 1-2 weeks and will be conducted within regular working day hours, to not cause any significant disruption to neighbors.
The rest of the activities include installation of the solar trackers, PV modules, inverters, transformers, etc. None of these activities generate any excessive noise, dust or other forms of disturbance to the surrounding neighbors.
The rest of the activities include installation of the solar trackers, PV modules, inverters, transformers, etc. None of these activities generate any excessive noise, dust or other forms of disturbance to the surrounding neighbors.
04
Electrical
installation
installation
6 Weeks
Electrical work includes the installation of underground cables, wiring and termination of above ground cables on the solar trackers (connecting all modules into strings and connecting them to the inverters), wiring and termination of grid interconnection facilities.
05
QA/QC
inspections and
Commissioning
inspections and
Commissioning
Regular quality assurance and stormwater management inspections will be implemented throughout the construction and installation period. Once all systems are installed and connected, a dedicated third-party engineering crew, along with the utility’s engineers will conduct the final inspections and testing procedures before the system can be placed into operation and start generating and exporting energy into the grid.
Environment
Technical and environmental surveys
Wetland Survey
This project avoids all state and federal wetlands.
Compliant
Water resources
This project avoids all state and federal waterways.
Compliant
Wildlife habitat survey
This project has no habitat impacts.
Compliant
Floodplain impact
There are no floodplain impacts and the project has no nearby floodplains.
Compliant
Stormwater Management Plan
This project complies with Department of Conservation (DEC) requirements.
Compliant
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Operation and maintenance
The solar array, inverters, transformers, and all safety systems are fully automated and remotely monitored 24/7 through an electronic system and do not require constant on-site supervision or manual operation. As described below, the Project requires only periodic inspections, servicing, and maintenance, conducted by dedicated crews, per schedule or as needed.
Beyond the construction period, the Project requires very minimal on-site personnel. Regularly occurring management operations include landscaping (solar grazing, mowing, and vegetation management) and annual inspections of the mechanical and electric installations and equipment. All these operations are performed by small crews and do not generate notable noise or traffic that is uncommon for an agricultural-residential or residential neighborhood.
During its normal operation, the solar installation:
- Will not generate significant vehicle traffic
- Will not generate any gas emissions
- Will not pose a risk of any contamination of air, soil, or water resources
- Will not generate waste
- Will not require discharge of wastewater
- Will not generate noise that would exceed the accepted standards
Project Decommissioning
A responsible return to its orginal state
Solar panels available on the market today are typically designed to last for at least 25 - 30 years and the Project will continually maintain the solar arrays and related equipment for the life of the Project. At the end of their useful life, the Project may be renewed or they may permanently cease operations, at which time the Project removal plan (approved by the Town of Gainesville) will be implemented to remove, reuse, and/or recycle equipment and related materials to return the Project area to its pre-construction condition so that it is available for agriculture and other open space usages as determined by the landowner at that time.
The removal of the Project is, in many ways, the reverse of its construction. Much of the same equipment that was used in the construction of the Project, such as trucks and backhoes, will again be used in the removal of the components. Steel, cable, and concrete will be removed and transported off-site for recycling and/or disposal at approved facilities. Licensed off-site disposal facilities will be identified at that time, as the availability of facilities is likely to change in the decades during the Project’s useful life. The removal of the facility and the site restoration are guaranteed through a bond, whereby the Town of Gainesville is the beneficiary. It is also important to mention that it is in the interest of the Project to recycle the bulk of the materials and equipment, which are projected to have a higher salvage value than the total cost of the removal and restoration.