TFMoran is pleased to announce Michael Dahlberg as Senior Vice President of the company. Mr. Dahlberg joined TFMoran in 2021 as an Assistant Vice President and Survey Department Manager in the Bedford office. Mr. Dahlberg has over 40 years of experience as a licensed Land Surveyor in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont. Additionally, he is a certified Flood Plain Surveyor and New Hampshire Septic System Designer.
Congratulations, Mike!
TFMoran is pleased to welcome four summer interns to the Bedford office. We are so excited to welcome Brooke Stoncius, Jackie Gamache, and Tim Purcell to the TFM team!
Brooke Stoncius is working in the Stormwater Engineering Department in the Bedford office. This will be Brooke’s second summer here at TFMoran and we are very excited to welcome her back. Brooke attends Endicott College where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Engineering. Brooke’s internship includes working with the stormwater management department Senior Project Manager, Dan Blais.
Jackie Gamache is working in the Marketing Department in the Bedford office. This will be Jackie’s second summer at TFMoran and we are very excited to welcome her back. Jackie attends the University of Rhode Island where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Communications and Marketing degree. Jackie’s internship consists of assisting the Marketing Coordinator Julia Chartier.
Tim Purcell is joining the Landscape Architecture Department in the Bedford office. Tim is a senior at the University of Rhode Island, expecting his Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture next May. Tim’s internship includes working in the office with our Landscape Architect, Mike Krzeminski.
Max is working in the land surveying department in the Bedford office. Max attends The University of Maine, where he is pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying Engineering Technology. Max’s internship includes working in the field, shadowing each of our field surveying teams.
Welcome to the team, Brooke, Jackie, Max & Tim!
New Hampshire Business Review’s May 24th issue features a solar energy spotlight, with input from Nick Golon, PE. Read Nick’s insights below.
Businesses seeking to stabilize the expense of their energy use can look at options for decreasing their needs and find alternative energy solutions. Investments in solar energy can help reduce reliance on a variable energy market and carbon emissions.
Our panel discusses what solar project options are out there, and how to take advantage of available incentives for energy system upgrades and solar power.
Our Expert: Nicholas Golon, PE, Civil Department Manager and Principal, TFMoran
Q: What is a “utility-scale” solar facility, and how is it different from a rooftop solar array?
Although the exact definition may vary depending on who you ask, the nature of the answer is typically the same: it is a large-scale solar generator, 1 megawatt (MW) or greater, that connects directly into the power grid, supplying a utility with energy.
Typically, there is a power purchase agreement between a developer and the local utility, guaranteeing a market for the developer for a fixed term of time, but we are also now seeing utility-owned, utility-scale solar projects, driven in part by utility providers’ ongoing efforts to support renewable energy initiatives.
Q: What are the greatest challenges facing “utility-scale” solar facilities in New Hampshire?
Location, location, locations. In that, the scale these facilities require is approximately 6 to 8 acres of usable land to accommodate 1 MW of generation (including solar equipment, panels, access and stormwater management).
Finding a site of this size, and in appropriate proximity to existing utility infrastructure, is a challenge. One par with finding a site that meets these basic criteria are the challenges derived by local land-use restrictions, as many municipalities did not contemplate the use of such facilities in the provisions of their zoning and site plan regulations.
Perceived environmental and wildlife impacts associated with land clearing and site preparation operations is also a challenge in the siting of these facilities, although these impacts may be offset with appropriate considerations of stormwater management best practices, inclusion of appropriate buffers to sensitive receptors, and use of wildlife-friendly fencing to accommodate wildlife activity.
Q: What future technologies/innovations do we have to look forward to with “utility-scale” solar?
Although the advancements in energy storage will be a prolific contributor to the advancement of solar science, we can also look in a different direction for innovation, as sometimes the best ideas are found in the most unlikely combination of two competing uses.
In this case, agrivoltaics, or dual-use solar and agriculture, is the use of land for both agriculture and solar energy generation. One of the acknowledged drawbacks for solar is the conflict it presents with agricultural production, as they share the commonality of preferred land conditions that are flat and provide abundant sun.
The co-location of such uses would provide benefits to both industries. Such facilities do exist in New England, such as the 4.2 MW Rockport Maces Pond Agrivoltaic project, a dual-use community solar project on a blueberry farm in Rockport, Maine, as well as the ongoing efforts of the University of Massachusetts Amherst through their research team.
The team has been collaborating with private solar developers and host farmers to implement agrivoltaic operations at sites around the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Much like to co-location of different land uses in a mixed-use land development project, it will be very interesting to see if this symbiotic practice of co-locating solar and agriculture can be successful.
TFMoran is pleased to welcome Allyson Jones as a project engineer in our Bedford Office. Jones’s recent experience includes working for a local Massachusetts firm, with a focus on transportation engineering for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. She graduated from Merrimack College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. At TFMoran, Jones will assist the Stormwater Management department with daily tasks including SWPPP preparation and inspections, water quality monitoring, and flocculation treatment systems.
Welcome to the team, Ally!
TFMoran sponsored the City of Manchester‘s Annual Employee Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at the Derryfield Country Club. This year marks the 48th annual tournament, proceeds benefit city employees such as those who educate our children, patrol our streets, fight our fires, plow our snow, provide our water, and create the clean and safe environment that makes Manchester such a desirable city to live and work in.
TFMoran was a gold lunch sponsor for the event.
The Structural Engineers of New Hampshire (SENH) recently held their 2024 Excellence In Structural Engineering Awards event on May 16th!
Entries were judged on creativity, complexity, innovation, ingenuity, and suitability of the structural design for each of three categories; Building Structures, Bridge & Transportation Structures, and Special Structures.
TFMoran was honored to receive the award in the Building Structures category for the Highrock Church renovation in Arlington, MA.
TFMoran Structural Engineers provided structural design to repurpose a former industrial building into a worship and community center for Highrock Church. Located in Arlington, Mass., The existing building (c. 1900) originally built for manufacturing purposes, was most recently used for auto repair and parts warehousing. The project includes 19,700sf of worship and support spaces. Historic facades at the rear of the building were preserved while replacing the roof structure and retrofitting foundations for a more functional, open worship space. Repairs were also made to the existing concrete structure. A new lobby addition provides accessibility and connection to an adjacent church property.
