On December 3, 2019, Stronghold Engineering completed a showcase battery project at the Huntington Library botanical gardens. The project consisted of a large battery storage system (880KW / 3520kWh) for the library located on a concrete pad in the heart of the gardens. 

Design work for the job started on April 17, 2019, followed by a construction start date of September 31, 2019. Stronghold’s crew completed the sizable system in 2 months, a timeline typically set for projects half its size.

Before construction began on site, the garden’s horticulture experts aided Stronghold in determining where to position the project so as to not harm or endanger any of the existing plants and trees in the garden.

Stronghold’s continuing innovation saved money and man hours in regards to what would be used to house the battery system. Originally, a lifted system was designed to hold the system above the ground. As designing continued, it was determined that a concrete pad, if deemed safe for a certain large oak tree, would be better suited for the project’s timeline and budget.

Additionally, Mike Dugal, one of the project’s Superintendents, visited the site to pothole existing tree roots to determine where a particular oak tree’s root system was in order to ensure that the project’s concrete pad wouldn’t affect the large tree’s future health.

As construction progressed, minor complications arose from the location of the existing switchgear where a portion of the work took place. It backed up to classrooms, so any drilling or other loud tasks that took place at the switchgear were heard by students and professors in class. 

In an effort to preserve the experience of the library’s patrons, Mike Kelly, the project’s second Superintendent, worked with the professors teaching classes to schedule all noisy work outside of class time. Classes continued as scheduled and no time was lost on the project.

The Huntington Library showcased battery project marks another successful completion for Stronghold. For information on other projects like this one, visit Stronghold’s website. Or, for more information on this project, you can also view its project page.