| Work Detail |
A summary of five large-scale solar projects from Massachusetts to South Dakota.
Solar deployment in the United States is expected to grow 40% this year and by 2024 to reach 30 GW per year, or roughly 50% more than 2022 totals. Much of this rapid growth in deployment will come from charge of large commercial-scale projects, which the International Energy Agency expects will account for about three-quarters of the 30 GW annual total by 2024.
Commercial-scale solar power projects come in many shapes and sizes, from the smallest near cities to the largest in remote areas. Below are five projects and financial news in the photovoltaic solar energy sector.
Bowman Signs 200 MW Contract
Bowman Consulting Group has announced that it has been awarded a $1.4 million engineering design contract by J. Ranck Electric, which operates primarily in Michigan. The deal is in addition to $2.1 million in engineering contracts the company received from J. Ranck in late 2022.
The Midwest Solar Project will add 200 MW of solar capacity, making it one of the largest solar installations in the region. Bowman will be responsible for the civil design, electrical engineering for the assembly design and structural engineering for the foundations of the balancing equipment of the systems.
The project site has a flat topography, which requires Bowman to work closely with the local drainage commission to ensure compliance with regulations governing drainage grading and design in relation to stormwater management.
“Our extensive experience in utility-scale solar enables us to provide these specialized services and keep pace with rapidly changing markets,” said Dan Swayze, Bowmans executive vice president of energy services.
First Solar 279 MW Order
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has announced that it has secured 279 MW of thin-film solar panels from First Solar for a planned solar project in Alabama.
The project will be located in Lawerence County, Alabama and is expected to come online in 2027. The region will also be home to a new vertically integrated First Solar manufacturing facility, which is expected to come online in 2025.
“Through our work with First Solar, TVA will continue to integrate more renewable generation into our global portfolio with solar technology developed and manufactured in America,” said Roger Waldrep, TVAs vice president of Large Projects.
Designed and developed at its R&D centers in California and Ohio, First Solars thin-film modules set industry standards for quality, durability, reliability, design, and environmental performance. The modules have the lowest carbon and water footprint of any photovoltaic technology on the market today.
National Grid to Donate $500,000
National Grid Renewables has committed to donate more than $500,000 to the New Underwood, South Dakota, school district from proceeds from its 128 MW Wild Springs solar project.
Wild Springs announced construction in early 2023 and is anticipated to be the largest solar project in the state upon completion. Wild Springs is expected to avoid 190,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of taking about 42,000 cars off the road for a year. The project is also expected to produce about $12 million in new tax revenue over its first 20 years of operation.
“The New Underwood School District is grateful for a gift of $25,000 annually for 20 years from the Wild Springs Educational Fund,” said Katie Albers, New Underwood School District Superintendent. “The district will use these funds in a variety of ways to benefit our students, the school, and the community.”
First Citizens Bank Finances 200 MW Project
First Citizens Bank announced that its CIT division acted as sole coordinator of the $211 million financing for the 200 MW Oak Solar project in Gaston, North Carolina.
SunEnergy1 LLC stated that it plans to build the facility in two phases, selling 100% of the electricity generated by the project to McDonalds Corporation under a 17-year power purchase agreement. The financing package included a term loan, a letter of credit and a bridging loan. The financing agreement is one more example of the boom in the contracting of solar energy by companies.
“SunEnergy1 is well known throughout the industry for its ability and experience in developing and operating commercial-scale solar installations,” said Mike Lorusso, managing director of the banks Energy Finance group. "We are pleased to support our client with a financing package that meets their business needs."
Altus Power solar-plus-storage
Occupying a slightly different footprint than previous projects, Altus Power announced that it has added a 10 MW solar plus 15 MWh of battery energy storage facility to its Massachusetts portfolio. The project will supply electricity under long-term agreements with a regional supermarket and community solar customers under the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources SMART program.
“Battery storage is an important tool for local utilities to ensure grid stability as they increase their reliance on renewable electricity,” said Gregg Felton, co-CEO and co-founder of Altus Power. "In addition, we expect storage to increasingly pair with Altus Powers solar arrays for customers interested in on-site clean standby power and EV charging."
The Holliston project has been developed in collaboration with REA, one of Altus Powers long-standing channel partners, and adds to the 116 MW of solar panels that Altus Power owns and operates in Massachusetts. |
