Planning Solar and EV Charger Projects with Private Utility Locating

Build Solar and EV Projects on a Solid Ground Plan

Solar panels, EV chargers, and battery storage are going in across Eastern Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Homes, businesses, and cities need clean power, backup energy, and charging for growing EV fleets. All of that equipment requires trenches, conduits, and foundations that tie into the ground.

Trenching for conduit, drilling for ground mounts, and upgrading service panels can cross old power, water, gas, or communication lines. One broken line can stop a project, damage equipment, or create safety hazards. Private utility locating services lower that risk, keep construction on schedule, and support smoother inspections by identifying what is in the ground before work starts.

Why Solar and EV Projects Need More Than 811

Calling 811 before you dig is required for many projects. The free public service sends utility owners to mark buried lines such as gas mains, city water, and power company feeds up to the meter. However, 811 does not cover all utilities on a site, which is a key issue for solar arrays and EV chargers.

Basic differences:

• 811 marks public utilities owned by utility companies  

• Private utility locating services find buried lines owned by the property owner or site operator  

On most sites, many critical utilities are private, not public, including:

• Electric laterals from a main meter to garages, barns, sheds, or outbuildings  

• Parking lot and exterior lighting circuits  

• Irrigation and sprinkler lines  

• Septic lines and private sewer laterals  

• Communication and data lines that run between buildings  

• Campus- or facility-owned power distribution on commercial and municipal sites  

If these private lines are not found and marked, crews can damage them while trenching for new EV conduits or driving ground rods for a solar array. Potential impacts include:

• Power outages to parts of the property or nearby buildings  

• Damage to irrigation, septic, or communication systems  

• Shock hazards or arc flash risk for workers  

• Extra repairs, inspections, and project delays  

Private utility locating reduces these risks for solar and EV work.

Designing Solar Arrays Around Buried Utilities

Accurate information about existing site utilities supports safer solar design. Pre-design utility maps help determine where equipment can safely go and where underground conditions create higher risk.

Private utility locating results help designers choose appropriate locations for:

• Ground mount solar arrays and carport columns  

• Trench paths for DC and AC conduits  

• Combiner boxes, disconnects, and inverters  

• Battery storage pads and equipment enclosures  

Electromagnetic locating and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) identify buried metallic lines and many non-metallic features before racking layout or drilling begins. This reduces the chance of hitting existing utilities while pile driving, augering for posts, or trenching along fence lines.

For residential projects, this can prevent issues such as cutting through a sprinkler main or hitting a feed to a detached shop. On commercial sites, early utility maps can:

• Reduce design changes once construction has started  

• Lower the number of change orders tied to buried conflicts  

• Help preserve landscaping, walkways, and paved areas  

Safer EV Charger Trenches and Service Upgrades

EV charging projects often require long trench runs, new panels, and sometimes service upgrades. These activities add new work in ground that may already be crowded with utilities.

Private utility locating services support EV charger installations by finding:

• Existing power feeds to lighting, signs, and other loads  

• Communication lines for payment systems and network gear  

• Water, gas, and other utilities that may cross planned trench paths  

• Unknown or undocumented lines identified during scanning  

GPR scanning and fault detection can also help find damaged or abandoned lines before excavation. This is especially useful when:

• Saw cutting and removing sections of asphalt or concrete  

• Boring under driveways, sidewalks, or entrance roads  

• Coring through slabs in garages or parking structures  

Parking lots, garages, and municipal sites often have dense underground utilities and limited shutdown windows. In these spaces, unplanned contact with a feeder or data line can close areas, disrupt traffic, or interrupt critical services. Accurate locating supports safer trench routes, realistic work windows, and better outage coordination.

Summer Construction, Storms, and Site Reliability

Summer is a busy season for solar and EV projects across the Pacific Northwest. Dry weather, longer days, and school breaks make it easier to work on rooftops, parking lots, and campuses, but tight schedules can tempt crews to dig without full locating.

Investing time in utility locating, mapping, and leak detection improves construction safety and long-term site performance. Adding solar arrays and EV chargers can increase load and stress on existing systems. Knowing where private utilities run helps protect:

• Older power lines now serving more equipment  

• Water lines near new sources of heat such as transformers and electrical gear  

• Storm lines and drainage paths close to new trenches  

Accurate underground maps help property owners and facility managers:

• Reduce outages from accidental utility damage during future work  

• Lower emergency maintenance calls tied to unknown buried lines  

• Plan additional chargers, solar, or new buildings with better information  

Schedule Utility Locating Before You Finalize Plans

The most effective time to bring in private utility locating is before a solar or EV charger project is finalized. When underground information is part of planning, designers and installers can align the project with actual site conditions.

Key milestones where professional locating adds value include:

• Early site walks or feasibility checks before layout decisions  

• Pre-engineering surveys when array footprints and trench paths are being drawn  

• Just before excavation crews mobilize, to confirm and refresh markings on active sites  

Building private locating into the standard process for solar and EV projects reduces risk and supports reliable construction and operation for residential, commercial, and municipal sites across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

Get Started With Your Project Today

Protect your schedule, budget, and crew by having us identify what is buried before you dig. Our private utility locating services help you avoid costly damage and unexpected shutdowns on your site. At Advanced Underground Utility Locating Inc, we work closely with you to deliver clear, accurate information so you can plan with confidence. Ready to move forward safely and efficiently? Contact us to schedule your locate.