In the past ten years, there has been a large push to install large ground mounted solar arrays on the rolling and forested terrain of Connecticut. This presentation will discuss issues with the design of stormwater management systems for large ground mounted solar arrays which are more than five (5) acres. The following stormwater management issues will be discussed; water quality of the runoff, increases in runoff volume, and lastly increases in the peak rate of runoff. The presentation will evaluate the existing site conditions, such as wetlands, land cover and soil conditions come into play for the design of the stormwater management system. The focus of the presentation will be on how to properly assess the changes in site conditions for the array which greatly affect the design of the stormwater management system. In addition to stormwater management issues, there will be a discussion of erosion control aspects and final site stabilization. Cases studies will be presented which show how incorrect assumptions in the design phase particularly for site disturbance and stormwater resulted in significant failure in the field which caused significant adverse environmental impacts. The case studies will also show how a realistic design can cause issues in the field when the contractors do not follow the approved plans.
