The microgrid island, hundreds of miles from mainland Brazil, has one inhabited region with mountainous topography that adds another degree of difficulty. Even the smallest errors can trigger costly rework, which is why designers chose building information modeling (BIM) technology to support the design of the photovoltaic (PV) complex and avoid budget overruns and indefinite delays during construction.
The utility company’s two main suppliers are Brametal and WEG. The former is responsible for designing and manufacturing the fixed structures for the solar panels, while the latter is supplying 30,000 PV modules and a 49 MWh battery setup. The result is a generation capacity of 22.82 MWp for a green-powered future.
Brametal and WEG are both Brazilian companies, but located in different states — Espirito Santo and Santa Catarina. Implementing a federated modeling strategy powered by providers such as Autodesk Construction Cloud has enabled geographically dispersed teams to collaborate seamlessly. Models combine separate, discipline-specific 3D models into a single coordinated view without necessarily merging them into one file.
However, taking this route had its own challenges for the Brazilian companies. The stakeholders had uneven BIM expertise, and some even resisted methodological changes. Software interoperability issues were also present.
Nevertheless, the strategy ensured that both suppliers adhered to the same precise material specifications when prefabricating components. Noronha Verde’s logistical and geographical constraints render on-site corrections nearly impossible, so cloud-based collaboration was vital.
The stakeholders were able to identify flood-prone areas immediately. Flood damage is a major threat to ground-mounted PV and solar energy storage infrastructure. Assessing these environmental risks early in the design phase is critical to avert total loss or keep long-term maintenance costs low. It also simplifies microgrid maintenance and increases its resilience to weather events, providing a lifeline for the remote island’s residents.
BIM, paired with geographic information systems and hydrological tools, can generate detailed 3D digital models to predict where water would flow across the landscape and how it would interact with the electrical infrastructure. Decision-makers can map the terrain, test major storm and flood scenarios and know where the runoff will pool.
Spotting the location’s low-vulnerability zones informs site selection. Understanding the location’s inherent flood risk enables engineers to optimize foundation design, PV structure height and drainage systems. Such an insight is key to placing mission-critical assets above 100- and 500-year flood elevations, helping prevent abrupt and prolonged power outages.
Ultimately, Noronha Verde’s stakeholders chose the site in front of the island’s airport. The team is now building the solar array on 53 acres, equivalent to 1.5% of the territory, to minimize environmental impact.
Brametal used hot-dipped galvanized material to fabricate foundations for the off-grid solar system to withstand the island’s environmental conditions. The team added a zinc coating to improve corrosion protection, an essential measure to mitigate the high humidity and salinity at the tropical and coastal site.
Aside from salt air and moisture, the company considered the volcanic island’s unique soil characteristics to manufacture a mounting system. The construction balances ease of execution, cost and structural safety.
Older research into Fernando de Noronha’s soils finds them young and shallow because they haven’t yet had the millions of years needed for weathering. As a result, they haven’t developed distinct layers and become more uniform horizontally.
The conditions are why some layers are acidic, while others are alkaline. The island has distinct profiles that include vertisols — clay-rich soils that swell when wet and crack when dry. Earlier research found that one type has high concentrations of water-soluble salts, and another contains disproportionate amounts of sodium ions. Soil salinity and sodicity levels contribute to corrosion, affecting construction parameters.
The PV structure manufacturer gathered data from the site to make informed decisions. Using a BIM platform, engineers embed material properties into a digital 3D model and then export the data to performance-analysis tools for simulation. The results could determine whether the foundations would fail sooner than expected due to constant exposure to aboveground and underground hazards.
This microgrid island project is constrained by land availability due to topographical and environmental factors. Brametal had to adopt a delta configuration to work around spatial constraints and maximize space. The arrangement positions structures on a north-south axis, involving two mirrored tables forming an inverted “V.” It deviates from the norm, as the tables typically face north on an east-west axis.
Prefabricating unconventional PV structural components increases the risk of errors. This BIM construction project mitigates it through automated clash detection capabilities. Merging 3D models of the mounting equipment and PV modules makes it much easier to spot physical and functional conflicts, reducing rework and cost implications. This method allows design professionals to work from hard facts rather than assumptions.
Modern scanners enable anyone to come on-site, measure off existing conditions and collect as-built data without being a specialist in PV module or solar battery storage equipment fabrication. Collecting complete data points and sharing the information via cloud increases visibility across teams, improving the accuracy of as-built records and preventing revisit and rework.
The second stage of the island project is due for completion in 2027. Automating clash detection with BIM is key to completing it on schedule, or even accelerating the timeline by identifying and resolving issues early.
The value of BIM to a microgrid project on a remote island with rugged terrain and unique environmental hazards is considerable. Noronha Verde proves that a seemingly impossible undertaking becomes feasible with the right technology. When combined with other innovations, such as digital twins, BIM can extend its usefulness beyond design and construction and into operation and maintenance.

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