Ameresco worked side-by-side with high school students to install solar on career center in Nelsonville, Ohio. NYSERDA selected CleanCapital to build the Adirondack Park solar project as part of New York’s Build-Ready program. Ampion Renewables is bringing community solar to low-income residents in Erie County, New York. Read more about these projects and others in the latest Projects Weekly.
Ameresco Inc. completed installation of a 185 kWdc solar PV project at the Tri-County Career Center in Nelsonville, Ohio. The new solar system was installed as part of a necessary roof replacement project and used bi-facial solar panels to maximize energy production for the two buildings it serves. The project is designed to provide up to 20% of the annual energy needs for the two Tri-County Career Center buildings.
“Ameresco not only managed this project smoothly from start to finish, but they also made sure that the installation process would meet the school’s mission to ‘inspire, challenge, and prepare students to reach their career potential,’” said Connie Altier, Superintendent of the Tri-Country Career Center. “We were thrilled to see our students gain true on-the-job experience with Ameresco and Commonwealth Solar.”
Cool factor: As part of the project, Ameresco provided high school students from the Electrical Trades Program at Tri-County Career Center with on-the-job experience helping with the installation. This is part of Ameresco’s broader focus on building the resilient energy workforce of the future and expanding understanding of career options in the field. In a survey of 600 Generation Z and Millennial workers conducted by Ameresco in 2024, 81% of respondents said they thought that working in the renewable energy sector would be a career path they were interested in, but had a limited understanding of what that career could entail. Over the course of the three-week installation, students were able to carry materials, construct racking, and install panels, giving them hands on experience in working as a solar installer.
The students at Tri-County Career Center that helped install the project’s 343 solar panels are in an optimal position to benefit from this demand for skilled workers. As part of their program, they can earn ETA Photovoltaic Installer – Level 1 certification, along with other industry qualifications. In addition to providing hands on experience, Ameresco’s project manager and local contractor partner Commonwealth Solar spoke with students about joining their teams, supporting a direct workforce placement pipeline for the Career Center.
“Providing students with the opportunity to engage directly with potential career paths and improve their campus was one of the most exciting parts of seeing this project unfold,” said Lou Maltezos, President of Central & Western USA, Canada Regions at Ameresco. “We’re committed not only to building a reliable, resilient energy supply, but also to supporting the on-the job training for the future workforce.”
NYSERDA selects CleanCapital to build Adirondack Park project
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has selected CleanCapital to install a 12 MW solar project at Adirondack Park. The project will be built on an underused portion of the Benson Mines property in St. Lawrence County. This announcement demonstrates how clean energy projects not only provide environmentally sustainable energy, but are also critical to repurposing underused land to stimulate economic growth and unlock new revenue for communities statewide.
CleanCapital has entered into a 20-year Renewable Energy Certificate agreement to sell Tier 1 Renewable Energy Certificates generated by the project to NYSERDA. Once operational, the 12 MW solar project, which is sited within the boundaries of Benson Mines Inc. on a former iron ore tailings pile is estimated to generate enough renewable energy to power up to 3,000 homes annually.
Cool factor: The project is one of the largest solar projects in the Adirondack Park developed under the state’s first Build-Ready site auction to advance large-scale renewable energy across the State.
“This is a significant achievement for NYSERDA’s Build-Ready program as we have now completed our first auction and are supporting the transformation of this underutilized site into something that is in fact, build-ready,” said Doreen M. Harris, NYSERDA president and CEO. “The Build-Ready program is helping to reimagine sites across the state so that communities can benefit from these otherwise abandoned spaces.”
As part of the Build-Ready program, NYSERDA conducted an evaluation of the site to assess its viability for a potential project installation. Once it was deemed viable, NYSERDA prepared the site to make it “build-ready” by leading the permitting, design, and interconnection approval process of the site. NYSERDA worked with community leaders, business partners, and regional partner agencies to explore and advance community benefits associated with the project that were tailored to the specific needs of the host community.
Ampion Renewable Energy was selected as the community solar administrator for the Erie County Low Income Program for Sustainable Energy (ECLIPSE), a new program that provides electricity savings to Erie County residents in need. Together with Erie County, Ampion will provide qualifying residents with electricity savings of up to 10% through community solar.
“Currently there are over 80,000 low-to-moderate income households in Erie County who can benefit from this program. We encourage residents to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “ECLIPSE Community Solar can be coupled with other programs like Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and Empower+ to ensure households can afford their energy bills.”
Cool factor: The community solar program is available to all Erie County homeowners and renters who are benefiting from federal or state aid programs, including the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
“Community solar makes renewable energy and savings available to electric utility customers without installations or upfront costs,” said Brian Buzby, Community Partnerships Executive at Ampion. “Through ECLIPSE, Erie County and Ampion are making it easier for low-income residents to support solar energy while saving money. Our goal is to make the enrollment process as simple as possible.”
In addition to providing meaningful cost savings to disadvantaged households, this partnership will expand the amount of renewable energy available throughout upstate New York in the National Grid and New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) service territories as more solar energy capacity is built.
AdventHealth flips the switch for on-site renewable energy project
AdventHealth’s corporate campus solar energy project has been completed and is now fully operational, making it one of the largest privately owned solar projects in Florida. The project, developed in collaboration with solar development platform ESA, began construction in 2024 and was strategically designed and executed through close coordination with the city of Altamonte Springs and Duke Energy.
“By harnessing renewable energy on our corporate campus, we are making a long-term commitment to reducing our environmental impact and building momentum toward our sustainability goals that will benefit generations to come,” said Olesea Azevedo, chief administrative officer for AdventHealth.
Cool factor: Located at the AdventHealth corporate headquarters in Altamonte Springs, Florida, the new 3 MW solar PV system advances the health system’s goal to cut emissions in half by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The project involved more than 7,500 solar panels installed across the rooftops of four buildings, two parking garages, covered walkways and parking canopies. Other enhanced campus amenities included the addition of 62 electric vehicle charging ports and incorporated covered parking for hundreds of surface parking spots. The solar system produces an estimated 4,200 MWh annually, supplying approximately a third of the campus’ electricity needs.
“By integrating multiple solar technologies, including rooftop and carport installations, this campus now serves as a model for future onsite solar projects across their facilities,” said Morgan Brawner, chief revenue officer for ESA.
Energy Abundance announces behind-the-meter data center hub
Energy Abundance Development Corp. has unveiled plans for Data City, Texas — a 5 GW behind-the-meter data center hub to be built on 50,000 acres near the city of Laredo, powered by 100%, 24/7 green energy.
Hyperscalers currently face mounting challenges: Securing gigawatts for AI data centers while managing strained grids, rising costs, and green energy commitments.
Data City offers a unique solution, achieving the holy grail of hyperscalers’ clean energy ambitions — delivering low-cost 100%, 24/7 green energy at scale. Fully islanded from ERCOT, the project combines wind, solar, batteries, and dual-fuel gas turbines — initially running on Texas-produced natural gas and shifting over time to 100% green hydrogen sourced from the company’s adjacent 2 TWh Hydrogen City salt dome storage facility.
Cool factor: Data City will be installed in phases, with the first 300 MW and 1 million sq ft of data center space set to launch in 2026 and expand quickly to 5GW and over 15 million sq ft of leasable space as demand accelerates. The project is designed to host large AI workloads with power-dense racking and a centralized district cooling system optimized for direct-to-chip liquid cooling, supporting NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell and Rubin chip designs.
“Data City is a world-class infrastructure project, pioneering a new behind-the-meter approach,” said Brian Maxwell, founder and CEO of Energy Abundance. “It will help America win the AI race while demonstrating how to achieve 24/7 green power with hydrogen and salt cavern storage.”
According to McKinsey, the global market demand for datacenter power is projected to reach 298 GW by 2030 — more than tripling current demand.
“Many of these new data centers will require new power-dense racking and direct-to-chip liquid cooling designs, making off-grid, high-output new-build infrastructure like Data City vital for winning the AI race,” said former McKinsey Senior Partner and Energy Abundance Board Member Andy Steinhubl.
Tags: commercial and industrial, Community Solar
