Wet Utilities
At the end of November, we completed Wet Utilities for the 112-unit apartment complex. The installation went smoothly, and only one rescheduled inspection was needed.
Wet utilities include:
Storm Drain
Sewer
Potable Water
Fire Water
Catch Basins
Offsite Water Connections
With the wet utility systems in place, Continental Villages can now install dry utilities. Because wet utility systems are installed deeper in the ground than dry utilities, they must be completed before dry utility installation can commence.
Solar Canopy/ PV System
Continental Villages maintained its Dry Utility installation commencement date despite agency-level changes related to Solar Interconnection requirements. As of 2019, the California Green Energy Code requires all new residential projects to install a Solar/ PV system on site. These systems can be installed on buildings’ roofs or “Solar Canopies” in the parking lot. Moreno Valley, CA, has its own proprietary electric utility provider, Moreno Valley Electric Utility (MVU). From 2019 to late 2022, MVU had not yet adopted a system of solar panel interconnection known as VNEM (Virtual Net Metering). As such, our Solar/ PV system was designed in accordance with traditional interconnection guidelines. This means the individual arrays of solar panels must be directly tied to the buildings they serve. The result is an assortment of Solar Canopy structures in the parking lot oriented as closely as possible to their respective buildings. These canopy structures also provide shade for resident vehicles, which is a bonus efficiency.
However, in late 2022, MVU and the City of Moreno Valley adopted a Virtual Net Metering (VNEM) system for solar interconnection at a public planning commission hearing held on December 6th. The VNEM program was rolled out over the next several months in Q1 2023. VNEM allows the energy created by solar systems to be tied into the grid “Virtually.” The implications of this adoption required significant revisions to the Solar/ PV system from various engineering and architectural firms in coordination with MVU. Additionally, the balance of the site electrical plans (site electrical, site lighting, building electrical, and other dry utilities) was contingent on completing the Solar PV system design. Although there was a delay in getting these plans approved, CED could still maintain its dry utility construction start date. The result is a well-thought-out Solar Canopy PV system optimized for virtual interconnection. It provides the required covered car parking in one system, coupled with an integrated site lighting system and augmented site and building electrical systems conducive to the Solar Canopy structures.
Dry Utilities
The dry utility installation that was initiated in December includes the following systems:
Site Electrical (MVU)
Gas (So Cal Gas)
Phone & Internet (Frontier)
Fire Alarm (Pacific Utility Installation)
Solar/ PV System (Pacific Utility Installation)
Joint Trench (Pacific Utility Installation)
The dry utility systems are slated to be completed in Q2 of 2024 in preparation for vertical construction. Although the tentative completion date is March 2024, potential delays due to seasonal weather and holidays may impact the completion date. El Nino, a weather phenomenon in the southern third of the country, is forecasted to remain strong from January to March 2024. This means meteorologists expect more rain this winter than the average year, increasing the chance of potential weather delays. However, our contractors have agreed to put forth their best efforts to schedule open trenching and installation on clear days, minimizing the potential damage and unnecessary delays to the dry utility systems.
To learn more about Continental Villages, visit Continental East – Fund III, LLC.
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