Request:
We were tasked with performing a glare study for a client on a large solar project in MISO. The glare study was required by the county because of concerns about glare to neighbors and adjacent roadways. There were no nearby airports to evaluate for this glare study.
Process:
Based on the project boundary provided by the client, we developed a preliminary project layout and performed a glare study using Forge Solar - the industry standard software for glare analysis, developed from the Solar Glare Hazard Analysis Tool technology (SGHAT), licensed from Sandia National Laboratories (the former industry standard software). We created and ran multiple design scenarios to assess glare potential for (17) unique vehicular routes and (40) unique observation points (mostly nearby residences) in order to satisfy the requirements provided by the county’s permitting group.
Outcome:
Potential glare issues were identified at some of the preliminary resting angles (essentially, the stow/start angle for a single axis tracking system), but our team was able to iterate and determine the optimal resting angle needed to eliminate glare potential for the site. These finding were then summarized and presented to the client and county as part of the permitting package.
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