FOI request stating There are No Records




                                       

This is regarding my FOI (freedom of information) request for records regarding the
engineering drawings for the Nelson Community Solar Garden

Its my contention this fails the engineering as provided for the project.
This disrespects the public by Nelson hydro management who accept this work and the profession of engineering whose members deliver this work.

The Engineering Firm MacLeod Nine Consultants Ltd. of Nelson BC provided the
city the drawings as Project No. 15-065 to Nelson Hydro.

Dated 160310 Issued for Pricing  Rev B
           160407 Issued for Review  "     A


The Installation is not installed as shown on these drawings resulting in shading of solar panels
and movement of ground mounted concrete ballasting due to earth movements possibly
a result of not using the mentioned 1200 lb vibratory roller stated in the engineers drawings.


My FOI as submitted 

The above from the engineering drawings, since the city has No records of change orders re: my FOI request I must presume all changes were
authorized by the engineer of the drawings,  MacLeod Nine Consulting Ltd. ,  Nelson, B.C.  

The City Response to my FOI stating there are no Records

From the response I must presume the Engineering Firm MacLeod Nine Ltd. changed the installation without creating any change orders or records




The engineered drawings state a 1200 lb Vibratory roller and water are to be used for ground compaction

Note c. above 1200 lb vibratory roller and water

What can be seen in the time lapse is a 220lb plate tamper
After one winter frost heaving is moving panels 
Might this have something to do with not using the 1200lb Vibratory roller?

Further concerns regarding frost heaving seen below
Concerns that heaving will push glass panels together resulting in breakage


Below we see the engineered drawings showing 6 meters between
rows, not what is installed.
                                                                                            As a result of the row spacing not being 6m there is shading from the front row of panels onto the back row
How can all the expense and professionals involved allow this?
The original engineering called for standard metal solar ground mounting systems, this was determined to be too expensive, resulting in a wooden structure hardly befitting a commercial 25 year or more life expectancy project.  This resulted in almost a years delay of completion


The engineering drawings call for 35 degree panel angle for optimal solar power.  They appear to have been installed at slightly under 30 degrees? 

Within a kilometre as the crow flies we have a professional installation with concrete sono tubes below frost line, no heaving or movement of solar panels after over three years and long life galvanized metal structures.

Combining this with all the other engineering for this project I see a complete lack of competency and ethics to the engineering profession.
This city management and a disrespect to engineering principles, the residents and taxpayers who pay for this professional expertise.
They fooled everyone, even the Engineer who did the drawings thinks the solar garden is "green" energy.  Her statement in the article where they all think they are funding "green" energy says:   I’m very impressed with how Nelson Hydro embraces new and innovative green technology, which will help meet the City’s energy needs.

 Nothing is greener than our own waterpower, unless you can avoid the burning of a non renewable fuel in a conventional power plant, which can't happen here, solar is adding to our carbon footprint.   The Manager of Nelson hydro confirmed this at a public meeting.  I asked him what makes the solar garden power Green?  His reply, Nobody said it was green.  Tell that to all those who wasted their money buying a sucker panel.

 The BCUC denied the Fortis Kelowna solar project, reason....it had no benefit to anyone.  Why can't Nelson get protected by the BCUC?  Because they have no jurisdiction, its the mayor and council who get to screw us.

Putting that together with this other 
         Making the Shoe Fit Engineering  
The public deserves  accountability. 

 They said it was to be fully funded by those opting in --didn't happen, Nelson hydro customers are paying for something of no benefit to anyone.

 It was to payback in 12 to 15 years....when even the flawed engineers report couldn't make it payback in 25 years without skewed data.

 I could fill this page with the deception in the public media stories coming from the city and hydro management.  The church groups, co-ops and individuals purchasing a panel thinking they were doing good were deceived by those who they should trust.

 And its happening once again, in my opinion because of all this misinformation.  Three Balfour community buildings have solar systems from public grants and taxpayers money that once again expects Nelson hydro customers to pay full retail for their excess solar power of no value.  I also believe this has led to the Columbia Basin Trust announcing $900,000 in grants for public buildings alternate energy systems to further hurt the public.  Not only the lost grant funds that society can use in far better ways, but Nelson hydro customers paying full retail for their excess solar power that has no value.

 I first sent this information to the Engineering firm expecting to get the answers,  I had no response.  I followed up with the FOI to the city.,
And the final reply from Alex Love Mgr Nelson Hydro
From: Alex Love
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2019 9:17 PM
To: normyanke@gmail.com
Cc: Sarah Winton; Carmen Proctor
Subject: RE: FOI request Ref. no. 18-009

Norm,

Re: Blog
We won’t be reviewing your blog. 

Re: Your FOI
If you feel something is missing please send me the engineering information you do have and I will review if it’s complete. Please send only the relevant files.

Re: Office of The Information and Privacy Commissioner

No concern from our end as I understand you will be filing a review request no matter what the response from Nelson.
Carmen Proctor  CC: above was the cities contractor overseeing the solar project.  No previous knowledge of solar installations, calculations, etc.  Now a Nelson hydro manager.


One of my emails long ago asked why the city doesn't hire people with expertise in the discipline of the project.  (I was referring to Proctor)  The CAO replied,  "we don't have to, she is a familiar face".

Comments

  1. normyanke@gmail.com10 February 2019 at 15:46

    I sent this to the Engineering firm before it went to the city hoping to get it cleared up. I received no response so have to presume since the city had no notes the Engineering firm made the changes. I don't think the city should accept this quality of work.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nelson Bike Route Grant Application FRAUD?

Image
In My opinion this grant application is designed to extract the maximum amount available, from the  $500,000 available, why didn't they go for the full amount? What number is correct, or is it all a guess? The first newspaper story shows $670,000 with $180,000 from the city. I have seen $650,000, the application I have shows $608,000.  At the public meeting the city planner upon my questioning about costs stated there was a 40% contingency built in. The grant suggests 20% contingency maximum, so why is he telling me 40%?                               UPDATE:   City council meeting June 2  High St. one way is not going ahead to be reviewed at a future date. A major part of the application costs, is the application amount adjusted? I have asked the city councilor on the project if there are any quotes supporting their costs. For example over $37,000 for signage and painting on Third St., about 1 km. Over $38,000 for signage and painting on High St. about 1.2
Read more

UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF SOLAR IN THE WEST KOOTENAYS

Image
  UPDATE FEBRUARY 2022 FINALLY SOME HONESTY   Solar garden costs 47c/kWh, and they said it would reach parity in 7 years.  Nelson hydro wholesale cost of power generation about 2c/kWh,  Solar is about 25 times more, PARITY??????? Below quoted from the city website  Utility companies use Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) as a metric for investment planning. It establishes a common comparative baseline across various forms of discounted energy generation over their lifetime. An updated  project analysis  completed in February 2022 concluded that 248 panels were installed from November 2015 to June 2017 at an actual cost of $331,372 generating an average of 66,622 kWh annually, with a customer investment of $221,657.30. Calculating the LCOE from an investment perspective using the project and maintenance actuals to the end of 2021 results in an LCOE of $0.47/kWh.   At least 25 X  more than Nelson hydro's wholesale cost of power! And it adds to our carbon footprint, nothing is cleaner or
Read more

The Real Engineering Report on the Economics of Solar in BC

Image
This article is not about solar but more about professional ethics, dishonesty, public deception and accountability........there is NONE> I complained to the Professional engineers Society of BC, mayor council and many others.  So far, any eco website or green related media block, deny, and disallow my comments and information, they have an agenda, its not about public money and economics.  As long as this continues our public pockets will continue to be picked for this waste of public dollars. Update 9/2020  The Nelson hydro manager, engineer who brought a  phony engineering report to city council showing them the Community Solar Garden  had a business case has left,  unaccountable  for his dishonesty and disrespect to his professonal ethics, his mayor and council, the city taxpayers and Nelson hydro ratepayers.  This leaves the CAO and others still accountable for all the dishonesty.  I provided all the information to the previous mayor and council, met with the hydro engineer, c
Read more