Battery Resiliency: Building Smarter, More Reliable Energy Systems
3 months ago · 2 minute read
As energy costs rise and grid constraints become more common, battery energy storage is emerging as one of the most practical tools organizations can use to improve resilience, efficiency, and cost control. From municipalities and transit agencies to schools, utilities, and private businesses, batteries are no longer just an add-on to solar power — they […]
Top 11 Signals Inside and Outside Civil Engineering That Matter
3 months ago · 2 minute read
This is a rare moment where the needs of aging infrastructure align with the strengths of a rising generation. Engineers today are comfortable blending decades, tools, and ways of working. As legacy systems reach critical renewal points, Gen Z and younger professionals bring a “decades mashup” mindset, combining digital tools with hands-on fieldwork, valuing craft […]
Meet Sue Fox, the Backbone of BAI Group
3 months ago · 2 minute read
As BAI Group celebrates 40 years of service, we are taking time to recognize the people behind the projects. This includes the administrative staff, engineers, technicians, and specialists who keep everything moving. Throughout this anniversary year, we will be sharing stories from across our team to highlight those whose dedication allows BAI’s complex engineering, environmental, […]
Jim Echard and BAI’s 4.0 Moment
4 months ago · 5 minute read
Progress, Jim Echard believes, comes from knowing when the pieces are ready. At dawn in central Pennsylvania, the ridge lines around the area hold a steadiness that predates modern industry. Change arrives slowly here, shaped by work, weather, and patience. Jim grew up in Lewistown, watching his father leave each morning for Standard Steel. He learned early that engineering was […]
Hamilton Square Shopping Center Goes Solar
4 months ago · 3 minute read
When one of the oldest shopping centers in State College, Pennsylvania, if not the region, goes solar, it’s more than an infrastructure upgrade; it’s a sign that clean energy has become an opportunity in everyday business decisions, right here in our own community. “Hamilton Square, originally called University Park Plaza, was built in 1956 on […]
Standard Steel: Built to Last
4 months ago · 2 minute read
Jim Echard, P.E., President, BAI Group Some places shape you long before you realize it. I live in the same small Pennsylvania town where Standard Steel was founded generations ago. Long before I became an engineer, or President of BAI Group, Standard Steel was simply part of the landscape. The sound of industry, the rhythm of shift […]
Meet Karen Finlan, The Steady Hand Behind Our Environmental Work
5 months ago · 2 minute read
With nearly four decades in environmental consulting, Karen Finlan has built a career defined by steadiness, care, and a deep respect for the communities and clients she serves. At BAI Group, she works in two roles that reflect the breadth of her experience — Senior Environmental Leader and Office Manager — balancing detailed technical responsibilities with […]
Cornell’s Solar Moment: A Reflection
6 months ago · 4 minute read
Sel Edor, General Manager of Renewables The Cornell School District’s transition to becoming the first 100% solar-powered school district in Allegheny County was one of the most meaningful moments of our year. Most of that credit belongs to a small, determined school community that approached a necessary infrastructure upgrade with clarity, patience, and long-term thinking. […]
Human + Intelligent: Engineering with AI at RCon 2025
7 months ago · 3 minute read
At RCon 2025 this November in Columbus, The BAI Group’s John Smith and Davar Ardalan will bring an engineer’s eye and a human touch to one of today’s biggest questions: how to use AI wisely, sustainably, and transparently. From the Florida Engineering Summit to the Chesapeake TriCon workshop, Smith and Ardalan have spent the past […]
The Case for Going Solar in 2025
1 year ago · 2 minute read
The beginning of 2025 has been a somewhat bumpy period for renewable energy. On the first day of his new administration, Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a “national energy emergency” and pledged his intent to accelerate fossil fuel production and undo major parts of the Inflation Reduction Act promoting renewable energy. What might […]