Project Development Engineer
Ameresco Inc, Phoenix, Arizona
Oct 2016-Present
My key responsibilities include the following:
• Evaluating sites for solar potential using satellite imagery (Google Earth, Pictometry). Incorporating all obstructions, shading, slopes, parcels, etc. into the PV array design.
• Review and compilation of customer energy bills to determine the rate tariff and kWh/kW charge components of the bill (MS Excel, Energy Toolbase).
• Research on Net Metering, Interconnection, and Billing through discussions with the Electric Utility.
• Solar PV and/or ESS System Design based on Electric Utility, AHJ, and customer requirements (Helioscope, PVSyst, Energy Toolbase, Geli, Tesla).
A site layout is done using Helioscope with application specific parameters (tilt, height, spacing, etc.). The system is sized and laid out such that it takes into account the point of interconnection and NEM, obstructions, and the setbacks per the AHJ.
Then, an analysis is done on how to size the solar energy system to maximize its worth on a $/kWh basis using Energy ToolBase or Excel. After the system size is finalized, a PVSyst simulation is run.
• Management of Engineering and Contractor firms, and reviewing engineering drawings to ensure that the NEC, AHJ , Customer, and Electric Utility requirements are met.
• Diligence on Permitting (Process, Permits required, Fees, Timelines, etc.)
• Interaction with Equipment Vendors (PV Modules, ESS, Inverters, Racking, Transformers, DAS).
• Creation of Pricing Document consisting of all the project costs (material, engineering, labor) .
• Creating and maintaining a project schedule (MS Project).
Software:
PVsyst
Helioscope
Geli Esyst
Tesla Storage Sim
Energy Toolbase
MS Excel
MS Project
AutoCAD
Skills:
PV/ESS Electrical Design
NEC
Project Management
Energy & Demand Analysis
Engineering Intern
Natural Power and Energy, Scottsdale, Arizona
Feb-Jul 2016
My work with commercial solar developer Natural Power and Energy involved evaluating different battery types (Lithium, Lead acid, Flow, Aqueous) for their advantages/ disadvantages with regard to energy storage capacity and demand charge reduction.
I created user-defined calculator tools in MS Excel that allow one to input yearly power/energy data, the electricity rate plan, the PV array size, and the desired monthly kW reduction, in order to display the demand charge reduction and net metering savings.
I also developed working knowledge of PVsyst and NREL’s System Advisor model (SAM), which I used to evaluate scenarios involving different PV array sizes (500 kW-1.5 MW), their corresponding energy output, and their effect on the required battery capacity. All of these tools helped a commercial scale facility in Arizona determine a cost effective PV array and battery size combination, resulting in a reduction of its high demand charge expenses by 15%.
Intern
FluxGen Engineering Technologies, Bangalore, India
Aug-Oct 2014
FluxGen was developing an automatic solar powered irrigation system: a product that utilizes minimum water for maximum yield of crops. They put me into work pertaining to powering of the system by means of solar PV energy.
My primary objective was to design a solar charge controller which uses a power converter circuit to safely charge a lead acid battery. Through this project I gained knowledge in solar cell equivalent circuits & parameters, I-V curves, Maximum power point tracking, and battery charging. I tackled the issues of shading of solar panels and gassing of lead acid batteries. Finally, I designed the solar charge controller circuit using an IC (LT 3652), which, through its compact size and minimal component count, greatly reduced the system costs.