The Fort Dix solar project is the largest military solar installation in the Northeast. The renewable energy installation adjacent to the active New Jersey joint base provides more than 21,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy per year. The project, which included major civil and electrical work, was designed to provide a new power source for the owner to sell back to the utility grid for local use.

Contractor Conti Enterprises faced challenges that included restrictions on onsite digging. Construction and installation activities were designed to be performed without piercing the ground, using a fixed-tilt system that maximized the available space.

The team took into account slopes, stormwater runoff and land load bearing. The solar array was designed so that no construction would penetrate the landfill cap to prevent any unintended damage.

The project was designed to allow for about 25 years of operation on a landfill and for the installation of potential future battery storage on site so that power that was not needed by the grid could be used later.

Major electrical components are located along the main access road to allow for necessary maintenance.

Despite an accelerated schedule during harsh winter months, the team maintained the owner’s budget and completed construction one week ahead of schedule.

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