On August 22nd, 2023, a community of CCAS interns, Evergreen Staff, and 3rd Party Contractors/Consultants performed a site assignment for the upcoming potential solar installation of the Covered Rec Pavillion.

By: Keira Jensen, MES Grad student, CCAS Extern

It was a quiet day, with full clouds just starting to rain. Mason, the president of Olympia Community Solar (OCS), had gotten there early to get baseline drone footage of the rooftop. He and Evergreen’s manager for this project were both standing in the damp field facing towards the empty roof. As the drone was looping down through its last flight, the solar installers trickled in. Some started chatting with colleagues from other companies, others were already clearly taking mental notes on the state of the building. A clipboard was passed around to confirm attendance and collect contact information, once that was done the site assessment officially began. 

The project manager gave a brief background of the project, overviewed the timeline, and went over the requirements for safety and technical specifics. The installers started asking questions, some were answered in the moment, and some would have to wait until the information could be dug up. All questions were recorded by the Evergreen staff, so that official answers could be shared out with everyone later. 

The air felt alive with potential. You see the place as it is, but also more and more start to see it as it could be. The trucks that will move in, where equipment will be stored, the steps needed to avoid damaging the grass, or at least repairing in after. The quiet day-to-day of the field disrupted, as workers move about their business, applying their craft as they set up rigging and frames and solar panels. 

Each vision is a bit different, changing based on replies to questions on the quality of the roof, access to storage areas for equipment, and what exactly the electrical setup and metering systems look like. The process is professional, but exciting in a way that makes it easy to envision just what a solar installation here will look like. The different movement and loading plans, the shifting visions of how to best lay out the panels. The idea of putting them in the shape of a geoduck gets a laugh from the crowd. 

There are no firm segments to the process. Questions get asked throughout, and at some point, people want to take a look at the electrical wiring and meter. The first room to look at is a discreet block of concrete within the main building, with a dim light and only enough space for a few installers to shuffle in at a time. They look at the wiring setup, take notes, snap pictures, then mill and chat outside. 

The same thing happens again, this time in a back room in a small building full of washers and dryers. This is where the building’s electrical system meets up with the rest of the campus’s grid. More talking, more pictures. This room is even smaller, so the process takes longer leaving more time to mingle. People make new connections, and follow-up on shared projects and plans. As the rain gets heavier questions start to fade out, last comments are made on timelines and submission dates, and everyone starts to disperse. And the site assessment is done. Nothing physically has changed – but the feeling of potential still lingers. I’m excited to see what comes of it.