A6_-_TechnicalReport-4_Redacted_0001.pdf

TechnicalReport-4

8/17/26

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CONSULTING ENGINEERS

MECHANICALACOUSTICALPROCESS ENERGY

July 9, 2025 (Revised 8/10/26)

NOAA POINT ADAMS BATTERY / SOLAR PROJECT

Summary

The Point Adams Research Station is located at 520 Heceta Place, Hammond, OR 97121. It was the location of a former U.S. Coast Guard facility in the early to mid-1900s. It is comprised of five major buildings sitting on approximately 5.8 acres, located along the shoreline near the mouth of the Columbia River.

Currently, there are two 200 amp services that are fed from the power poles going up the left side of the photo (west). One feed is to the building called “4-Bay” from an overhead pole running west to east. The second 200 amp service is in the top left part of the photo and the service is in the building labeled “generator”.

The overall project plan is to combine the two services into one 400 service and provide a single point of electrical service for the campus with the ability to provide emergency back and incorporate solar PV to power from renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Electrical Service Upgrade Architecture

The Point Adams campus will consolidate to a single 400-amp, 120/240-volt meter/main that supplies two 200-amp distribution panels. Once this task is completed, below is a diagram that describes how each panel will be fed on the campus from recently installed underground conduits.

Project Design and Calculations

Once the service is consolidated into a single 400-amp, 120/240-volt meter/main that supplies new two 200-amp distribution panels (Main Building and 4-Bay Building) and 60 amp feed to 2-Bay

Building. Each new 200-amp panel is equipped to operate both in parallel with the utility and as an islanded microgrid during outages. To enable this, each panel includes a bidirectional, service-rated transfer/islanding device that disconnects from the utility when required and allows the on-site power system to energize the panel safely.

Power conversion and backup for each 200-amp panel are provided by two paralleled split-phase hybrid inverter/chargers (nominally ~10 kW each). In each panel then yields roughly 15–18 kW of continuous islanded capacity with surge headroom for motor loads. The four inverters (two per panel) land on their respective panels through appropriately sized two-pole breakers and also take

AC supply from the panels for battery charging when needed. Neutral-to-ground bonding is managed so the bond resides at the service under grid conditions and at the inverter system when islanded, per code and equipment instructions.

Based on the campus energy summary (41,337 kWh/year, 18 kW maximum demand) and site conditions near 46.21° N, 123.94° W, the 20 kWdc PV array is expected to produce approximately

21,580 kWh/year, offsetting ~52% of annual consumption. Therefore, based on site energy requirements, solar generation is sized to total 20 kWdc and is wired as 600 Vdc-class strings into three MPPT charge controllers. These controllers feed the common 48 V battery bus directly (DC-coupled), minimizing conversion steps and ensuring that solar continues to charge the batteries during grid outages. PV/DC disconnects, overcurrent protection, equipment grounding, and module-level rapid-shutdown devices are included to meet code requirements. The area required for the solar panels is 1,500 sq feet (25’ x 60’) and allow some space if a fence is installed around the installation.

Energy storage is a 48-volt lithium-iron-phosphate battery system with approximately 250 kWh usable capacity. The battery racks are installed on a common 48 V DC bus with a dedicated DC distribution section that provides individual disconnects and overcurrent protection to each inverter pair and each charge controller. Battery management communicates state of charge, temperature limits, and charge/discharge permissions to the inverters so that charging profiles and peak power draw remain within ratings.

In normal operation (grid-parallel), solar production first serves loads on both 200-amp panels via the inverter outputs; remaining power charges the battery, and any further surplus can be exported or curtailed to a zero-export setpoint if required by the interconnection agreement. A service-entrance power meter with current transformers at the 400-amp main provides real-time import/export measurement so the inverters can hold a programmed export limit. During an outage, each panel’s transfer/islanding device opens the grid connection and its inverter pair immediately forms a stable 120/240-volt microgrid for that panel. Although the panels are rated

200 A, islanded capacity is limited by the inverter ratings (approximately 2-3 kW per panel average with a maximum of 15–18 kW per panel); non-critical circuits are managed and shed to keep within available power.

With ~250 kWh usable storage, representative backup duration for typical mixed loads is on the order of 3 days at a 2–3 kW average island load, extended by daytime solar. Three days of backup is established by NOAA to cover most typical power outages expected for this area.

Final conductor sizes, breaker ratings, fault-current and voltage-drop calculations, grounding/bonding details, protective device settings, and labeling will be completed during detailed design and in accordance with applicable electrical codes (including PV, interconnected power, and energy storage articles) and the serving utility’s interconnection requirements.

Below is a summary of the campus energy usage for fiscal year 2023:

NOAA Adams Point Energy Usage by Calendar Month - 2023

Jan 23 Feb 23 Mar 23 Apr 23 May 23 Jun 23 Jly 23 Aug 23 Sep 23 Oct 22 Nov 23 Dec 23 Total

Main Office

KWh #82364577 1,846 1,779 1,688 1,575 1,383 1,458 1,429 1,636 1,421 1,843 1,542 1,858 19,458

Electrical-kBtu 6,302 6,343 5,763 5,377 4,722 4,978 4,879 5,585 4,851 6,292 5,264 6,343 66,699 47% Energy

KW 9 8 9 11 7 9 8 9 8 8 8 11 11 KW Max

$ $228 $233 $222 $210 $188 $200 $198 $224 $197 $206 $176 $211 $2,493

4-Bay

KWh #84173873 1778 1753 1703 1678 1677 2171 1899 1951 1791 1799 1838 1841 21879 41,337

Electrical-kBtu 6,070 6,285 5,814 5,729 5,725 7,412 6,483 6,661 6,114 6,142 6,275 6,285 74,995 53%

KW 6 7 7 5 6 6 7 4 4 6 7 6 7 KW Max

$ 217 230 224 222 225 289 257 264 244 201 206 210 2789

Total Kbtu 12,372 12,628 11,577 11,106 10,447 12,389 11,362 12,246 10,966 12,434 11,539 12,628 141,695

$2,493 18 KW Total

Below is the input for the NREL calculator https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ :

Budget for solar, inverters, 250 KWh batteries (3 day backup), electrical service upgrade -

Backup Power Alternatives

The current PV and battery concept provides resiliency but does not appear to be within the available project budget if implemented as a full-campus battery backup system. Two reduced-cost backup alternatives should therefore be considered during the next design phase.

Option 1: Full Generator Backup With Natural Gas Service

Under this option, the Point Adams campus would be backed up by a permanently installed standby natural gas fired generator sized to support the full site load. The generator would serve the consolidated 400-amp, 120/240-volt service through a service-rated automatic transfer switch or equivalent transfer/islanding equipment. Upon loss of utility power, the transfer switch would disconnect the campus from the utility and allow the generator to energize the two 200-amp distribution panels.

Based on the reported maximum demand of approximately 18 kW, a generator in the general range of 25–30 kW would support the campus load with reasonable margin for motor starting, short-duration load peaks, and future operating variability. Final generator sizing should be confirmed during detailed design using connected load data, motor starting requirements, load diversity, and any required NOAA operational criteria. The preferred fuel source would be natural gas.

This option provides the most conventional full-site backup solution and avoids the cost of a large battery system. However, this option introduces combustion equipment, requires generator maintenance, and does not provide the same renewable-energy or quiet-operation benefits as a battery-based system.

Budget for generator, no solar or inverters, natural gas upgrades, electric service upgrades-

. Note the local natural gas service company has confirmed service in the area of the project site and the site plan is attached to this report.

Option 2: Smaller Battery Backup With Remote Load Control

Under this option, the project would retain a battery-based backup system but reduce the required battery and inverter capacity by controlling selected non-critical loads during an outage. Instead of backing up all connected loads continuously, the system would use remotely controlled breakers, load-control relays, or a listed energy-management/load-shedding panel to disconnect selected circuits when the site is operating in island mode. (Shunt trip is not considered here as this requires a manual reset when power is restored.)

Critical loads would remain energized from the battery/inverter system, while non-critical loads would be automatically shed using a smart electrical panel (Powerlink Panel Boards). This approach could allow a smaller battery system to support essential campus functions for a longer period without requiring a full 250 kWh battery installation. Critical loads have been identified as freezers located in or near the 1-Bay Building. Loads suitable for shedding may include comfort

HVAC, receptacle circuits, water heating, miscellaneous plug loads, or other equipment not required for minimum site operation during an outage.

The design would require the project team and NOAA operations staff to identify and classify loads as critical, deferrable, or non-critical. At this point, the preliminary loads are identified, and the contractor’s electrical design can confirm the reduced backup load, required inverter capacity, and finalize required battery capacity, and expected backup duration. The system should be configured so that load shedding occurs automatically upon utility outage, with remote override or scheduling capability where appropriate.

This option may provide the best balance between cost and resiliency if the project does not require the entire campus to remain fully operational during an outage. It also preserves the ability to use

PV and batteries for renewable energy offset, peak load control, and future expansion. The primary limitation is that backup performance depends on disciplined load selection and reliable control of the selected breakers or load-control devices. The battery bank could be expanded in the future if there is a need for more load or longer backup time.

Budget for inverters, remote breaker control panels and install, 80 KWh batteries (3 day backup at reduced load), electrical service upgrade -

Provide and install a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system, including solar panels, mounting rails, structural framing, wiring, and associated electrical equipment.

Solar panels will be attached to a metal frame structure designed for exterior installation and local wind calculations. The frame structure shall be mounted on round concrete pier foundations installed to a depth below the local frost line. The installation shall include all required array supports, panel attachments, grounding, conduit, conductors, disconnects, overcurrent protection, and code-required safety devices. Use the existing conduit in the ground that runs from the generator building to the 1-Bay building.

The solar array shall be connected to the project battery/inverter system through MPPT charge controllers in a DC-coupled configuration. The work shall include all materials, labor, equipment, additional trenching, foundations, electrical connections, labeling, testing, and commissioning necessary to provide a complete and operational solar PV installation.

Budget for solar PV installation -

The intent of this report is to estimate costs associated with recommended upgrades at your facility and appropriate detail is included in this report to make decisions about implementing certain measures at the facility.

However, this report is not intended to serve as a detailed engineering design document, as the description of the improvements are diagrammatic in nature only to document the basis of cost estimates and savings, and to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing the improvements. It should be noted that detailed design efforts may be required to implement several of the improvements evaluated as part of this report. As appropriate, costs for those design efforts are included as part of the cost estimate for each measure.

While the recommendations in this report have been reviewed for technical accuracy and are believed to be reasonable and correct, the findings are only estimates, and actual results may vary these stated in the report. As a result, Technical Designs is not liable if projected estimated savings or economics are not actually achieved. All savings and cost estimates in the report are for information purposes and are not to be construed as a design document or as guarantees.

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