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SEPTEMBER 2012 Celebrating our 28th year of publication • Be sure to visit us online at www.worldfencenews.com Eighty miles northeast of San Diego, Calif., NRG Solar is develop- ing the 26 megawatt (MW) Borrego Solar Project. Cost-competitive, re- newable power generated by the facil- ity will be sold to San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). At full capacity, the project will generate enough power to meet the energy demands of ap- proximately 20,800 homes. This is the seventh solar contract SDG&E has signed, boosting its re- newable portfolio by more than 300 megawatts. (State regulations require California's utilities to buy 20 percent of their power from renewable sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels. By 2020, that proportion must rise to 30 percent.) The substation is located in a 100 year alluvial flood plain that is expected to receive a water flow of up to 12 inches at least once every century. The design plan called for a ten-foot- high perimeter fencing system with automated panels to allow water and debris to pass under. The Borrego Springs electrical substation was not capable of handling the increase in power generation from the solar farm, and required a signifi- cant expansion to upgrade its capacity. Complicating this upgrade was the fact that the substation is located in a 100 year alluvial flood plain that is ex- pected to receive a water flow of up to 12 inches at least once every century. New construction requirements de- manded that the perimeter fence itself meet certain water flow criteria. The threat of a destructive slurry of water, mud, and debris flowing through the substation required that all equipment and electrical components be elevated several feet above grade. (Issues such as cost and a lengthy per- mitting process prohibited the reloca- The Borrego Springs electrical substation was not capable of handling the in- crease in power generation from the solar farm (a portion of the solar field array is shown above) and required a significant expansion to upgrade its capacity. Complicating this upgrade was the fact that the substation is located in a 100 year alluvial flood plain that is expected to receive water flow of up to 12 inches at least once every 100 years, which could damage the fence if there was no way to relieve the pressure. The ingenious solution was to horizontally hinge the bottom 24 inches of the fence to allow it to swing up and away from the floodwaters (below). A sophisticated system of linear actuators and water sensors (above right) com- pleted the safeguard. (Photos courtesy Controlled Products Systems Group) Alcorn Fence Co., a 70-year-old fence contractor headquartered in Sun Valley, Calif., was asked to submit a design and build plan for the substation ex- pansion perimeter fence. ices (AGS) in Corona, Calif. to help with the automation design. "We've worked with AGS on nu- merous high profile projects that have required gate automation and they've always provided an excellent finished product," said Nick Dobson, Orange, Calif. branch manager for Alcorn. AGS was contracted to design and install the automation system. Johnson reached out to another business part- ner, Controlled Products Systems Group (CPSG), a major wholesale dis- tributor of perimeter access control equipment, for help in identifying the necessary components. Dobson stressed that reliability of the system was of absolute impor- tance. tion of the entire substation.) The design plan called for a ten- foot-high perimeter fencing system with automated lower panels to allow water and debris to pass under. Besides keeping trespassers out, the fence prevents people from getting too close to the facilities, as parts of the substation are so highly electrified that a person can receive a lethal 69,000 volt shock from six feet away. Alcorn Fence Co., a major fence contractor in business since 1942, was asked to submit a design and build plan for the substation expansion perimeter fence. Alcorn Fence con- sulted with longtime partner Steve Johnson from Automated Gate Serv- "We needed a fencing system that would be secure under normal condi- tions, and then automatically move upon the presence of water flow," stated Dobson. Together, Dobson, Johnson and CPSG president Brian Huitt considered several very different designs, eventually choosing what continued on page 7 Managing the forces of nature with imagination and technology