Home / Insight / University of Windsor Presentation

University of Windsor Presentation

University of Windsor Presentation

Last month, Rob Lydan, visited the University of Windsor to present a guest lecture as part of the Canadian Infrastructure Law and Project Finance course. At the University of Windsor presentation, he introduced the law students to Phoventus’ work, services, and core areas of specialty. One of Phoventus’ core business areas includes professional engineering services in the electrical, civil, and structural sectors. But, what role does an engineer play when it comes to the law?

In the realm of project finances, Rob bridged the gap between engineering and legal. He discussed the responsibilities of independent engineers when taking on projects across all industries. The students at the University of Windsor presentation had the opportunity to learn how independent engineers are represented, how to find one, and how the firm’s culture may impact the way they work. Beyond speaking about the role of an independent engineer, Rob also provided examples of legal documentation used in the industry to hire one. He also gave a quick run-down of how to interpret these documents, so that each student has a well-rounded understanding of what to expect.

Key points

After laying down the groundwork, Rob discussed liability management and risk. Rob touched on the following talking points regarding liability, and provided some scenarios:

  • How do firms balance liability with what the clients want? What steps do clients and engineers need to take to negotiate a fair contract?
  • How do engineers ensure that they provide a report that covers all liabilities, without being too ambiguous or misleading?
  • How do engineers accrue project liability?

Rob also discussed risk management in both foreseeable and unforeseeable contexts, and how to mitigate risk from a legal standpoint. He highlighted the importance of establishing Standards of Care when managing EPC contracts. Rob provided examples where risk can occur in an EPC contract, and how to disseminate this information from legal documentation. The take-home message was to understand how to identify risk, and how to manage it.

Related Insight

Phoventus - Energy Storage Project

Crimson BESS Battery Storage Project Improves Energy Reliability with 350-MW / 14 GW/h Battery Storage

Phoventus was proud to be the Owners Engineer on this important project. Crimson Storage is the largest battery storage project in the world to reach operation in a single phase, and it is the second largest energy storage project currently operating. Sited on public lands in Riverside County, California, the project holds two long-term energy storage contracts with […]

Read more
Glint and Glare Study

FAA Glint and Glare Study-Airport Solar

Here is the Preliminary Design for 15.5MW Alberta Solar Project. It includes Preliminary layout, equipment selection, energy production analysis. And, most importantly, glint and glare study for the 15MWac project in Alberta, Canada. In July of 2019, The client contracted Phoventus Inc to perform a glint and glare assessment for the proposed solar layout. This assessment uses GlareGauge. That’s a […]

Read more
AWEA

AWEA Siting and Environmental Compliance Conference

The Phoventus Team is excited to be attending this year’s American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Siting and Environmental Compliance (SEC) Conference. In addition, the conference takes place in Memphis, TN. Above all, we look forward to connecting with like-minded individuals and coming to a better understanding of current industry trends. Also, we anticipate learning about the advances […]

Read more