High-Production Pile Pre-Drilling Services Across Virginia

Aggregate Resource Drilling, LLC, an Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) and affiliate of Aggregate Resource Industries, Inc. (ARI), delivers high-production solar pile pre-drilling services throughout Virginia. We specialize in utility-scale solar sites where driven or augured piles encounter refusals due to dense subsurface materials such as residual clay over shale, fractured bedrock, or cobble-filled zones—common across Southside, Central, and Northern Virginia.

Our advanced fleet supports pile diameters up to 16 inches, serving both monofacial and bifacial foundation systems in accordance with Virginia’s regulatory and interconnection standards.

Whether you're developing a 100+ MW solar farm under Dominion’s grid or deploying a rural energy community project in Halifax County, ARI brings precision, compliance, and production consistency to every drill site.

Why EPCs and Developers Choose ARI for Virginia Solar Projects

Technical & Operational Advantages

• Proven in Virginia: Over 125 MW drilled across Halifax and Loudoun counties

• SmartROC & Down-the-Hole (DTH) Drilling: Automated rigs with real-time drill data and bore deviation control

• Data-Backed QA/QC: GPS-tagged logs, electronic as-builts, and GIS coordination

• Experienced Crews: MSHA- and OSHA-compliant, with regional experience in clay-shale transitions and refusal-prone formations

Strategic Developer Benefits

• IEE Status: Enhances IRA tax credit potential and supports tribal enterprise participation

• IRA Labor Compliance: DOL-Registered Apprenticeship Program satisfies prevailing wage + apprenticeship mandates

• Rapid Mobilization: Nationwide reach with established East Coast deployment capabilities

Project Portfolio Highlights – Virginia Solar Sites

ARI has drilled over 5.6 gigawatts nationally and is an active solar partner throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Select Virginia projects include:

100 MW Dulles Airport Solar – Loudoun County, VA
Pre-drilled foundations at an active airport site, overcoming soil variability near sensitive infrastructure.

26 MW Route 360 Solar – Halifax County, VA
Rural terrain with frequent refusals in clay-over-rock layers. Project completed under compressed EPC timeline.

Where We Operate in Virginia

ARI provides solar pile pre-drilling services statewide, with active and past operations in:

• Northern Virginia – Loudoun, Prince William, Culpeper

• Central Virginia – Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna

• Southside – Halifax, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania

• Tidewater – Sussex, Isle of Wight, Surry

• Shenandoah Valley – Augusta, Rockingham, Frederick

We mobilize rapidly with experienced drilling crews and regional vendor support for staging, water services, and equipment maintenance.

SmartROC Drilling with Integrated QA

Our SmartROC D65 rigs are engineered to meet Virginia’s diverse geological challenges—transitioning seamlessly between clay seams, fractured rock, and deep refusal zones. ARI’s precision pre-drilling systems provide:

• Digital depth targeting and refusal zone detection

• Real-time monitoring of torque, penetration rates, and angle variance

• GPS-verified drill logs and electronic quality documentation

• GIS-based layout integration for rapid EPC handoff

“We’ve consistently seen refusal in residual Piedmont soils from 2 to 6 feet. ARI’s bore control and QA tools make downstream torque testing far more predictable.”
— EPC Construction Manager, Virginia Project

DOL-Registered Drilling Apprenticeship for IRA Compliance

ARI complies with the labor provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through our U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship Program focused on drilling operations.

IRA Labor Compliance Advantages

• Meets prevailing wage and apprenticeship (PWA) thresholds under 26 USC § 45 and § 48

• Supports full eligibility for enhanced ITC/PTC credits (up to 5x base)

• Enables project compliance with IRS documentation (Forms 8835 and 3468)

• Reduces risk of audit exposure and tax credit loss

“When ARI drills your site, you're getting more than a scope of work — you’re getting labor compliance insurance built into your foundation plan.”

Apprenticeship Program Overview

• Trade: Driller

• Registered With: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training

• Curriculum Includes:

  • Jobsite safety, lockout/tagout, and fall protection

  • Rock type identification and bore plan adaptation

  • Borehole precision, deviation monitoring, and GPS as-builts

  • MSHA and OSHA certifications

• Duration: ~2 years with structured mentorship and certification tracking

Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) Tax Credit Access

As a federally recognized Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE), ARI offers developers unique advantages on IRA-funded or federally influenced solar projects.

Our participation:

• Enhances access to bonus IRA tax credits through tribal engagement provisions

• Qualifies contractors for federal set-asides or procurement preferences

• Demonstrates ESG alignment and inclusive economic development

• Improves scoring on competitive funding applications

Ready to Drill in Virginia?

If your Virginia solar site is facing pile refusals, dense clays, or shale-rock transitions, ARI is your trusted partner for high-volume, compliance-aligned solar pile pre-drilling.

Contact our solar operations team to request pricing, a technical scope of work, or to schedule a site walk:

Contact ARI