Owner: First Solar Inc.
Architect: First Solar Inc.
Project: 250-Acre Site Development
Contract Amount: $1,242,973
Contract Date: March 2010
Completion Date: April 2010

Mick Rich Contractors was awarded the “Move On” contract for First Solar’s 30 Megawatt Solar Power Plant in Cimarron. The “Move On” contract was critical path for the $200 million project. We were expected to mobilize within 72 hours, and to complete the project within 30 days. The project was composed of temporary and permanent site utilities, access roads into the site, all SWPP measures including retention ponds,  site fencing and site entry stations. We completed the project on time, despite several late winter snowstorms that construction during whiteout conditions. Twelve months later, we were awarded the “Move Off” contract.

Owner: First Solar Inc.
Architect: Lengyel & Associates
Project: Off Site Conventional
Contract Amount: $385,000
Contract Date: June 2013
Completion Date: December 2013

We were asked to submit a price proposal for First Solar’s O&M building at their PV Array in Macho Springs, NM because we had successfully completed an earlier project (“move-on” contract, $1.3 million in 5 weeks) for First Solar at their Cimarron PV Array Facility.

First Solar’s proposal called for a site built structure. We recommended our Off-Site Conventional System. Their site was remote (between Deming and Hatch) and desolate (the only thing at the site was blowing tumble weeds). Thus, the cost of getting material and staff on the site would be expensive. Our solution was cost effective and allowed them to concentrate on the PV Array, not be distracted by a minor component of their facility.

We constructed the office portion of the building in Albuquerque and transported the building in one piece to the site. Once the office was set on the permanent foundation, we constructed the warehouse using conventional wood framing in just a few weeks.

Owner: CH2M Hill-Lockwood Green
Architect: CH2M Hill
Project: Three Pre-engineered Metal Buildings
Contract Amount: $4,817,418
Completion Date: February 2009

This was Schott Solar’s first photovoltaic production facility in the United States, located in the Mesa del Sol Development that is revolutionizing the southern Albuquerque metro area.

The new facility produces both photovoltaic modules and receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants. Three pre-engineered metal buildings were designed and fabricated by Nucor Building Systems: a 115,000 square foot receiver building, a 56,000 square foot modular building, and a 22,000 square foot office building. Mick Rich Contractors offered the best delivery schedule, utilizing Nucor Building System’s newest fabrication facility in Brigham City, Utah.

LEED points for using 80 percent recycled steel – the industry’s leading efficiency rating – while remaining competitively priced, made Nucor the optimum choice of manufacturer. Also essential was Nucor’s commitment to meet or exceed stated delivery dates with no cost increases.

The Schott Solar facility comprises 200,000 square feet, and employs 350 people in the first phase, representing a $100 million investment. Eventually, Schott expects to more than double the size of the existing manufacturing plant.

Owner: City of Rio Rancho
Architect: Environmental Designs Inc.
Project: Addition
Contract Amount: $1,066,881
Completion Date: November 2009

This project is a one-story, 4,415 square foot addition to the Rio Rancho, NM offices of the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority. It is primarily composed of cast-in-place concrete, ICF walls, wood framing, EIFS, TPO roofing, aluminum clad wood windows, aluminum storefronts and polished concrete floors.

Attempting a LEED-NC version 2.2 Platinum level certification, this project emphasizes sustainable building materials and methods. The project showcases an 18” rammed earth wall, as well as two 32’-long built-up parallam wood trusses. To achieve the LEED Certification, 75 percent of all waste must be recycled, 20 percent of all materials must be made of recycled content, and all paints, adhesives and composite wood items must have a low VOC content. The wood framing material was all FSC certified. Bamboo and wheat board were used in the casework to achieve the rapidly renewable materials points.

The site also features a 13,000 gallon cistern system to collect rainwater for irrigation, and a 16kw photovoltaic shade structure array provides power for the addition.