The behind-the-meter project is set to be one of the largest C&I rooftop solar projects installed to date.
Correlate Infrastructure Partners announced the installation of a 3.8 MW rooftop solar system at the Reading, Pennsylvania corporate headquarters of EnerSys, reportedly one of the largest U.S. behind-the-meter solar systems to be deployed to date.
EnerSys, a manufacturer of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries for various industries, said the solar deployment reflects the company’s internal efforts toward a low-carbon future as it strives to be a producer of batteries for applications that pivot customers away from fossil fuel resources.
Construction of the Pennsylvania rooftop project is to commence in 2023, a Correlate spokesperson told pv magazine USA.
“This partnership and project bring together a decade of our team’s vision, whereby we are both supporting a corporate renewables program and helping decarbonize the supply chain with a global market leader,” said Todd Michaels, chief executive officer of Correlate. “We’re proud to be working with EnerSys to further advance solar development in the Commonwealth and to support their commitment to long-term sustainability.”
Formerly known as Triccar, Correlate Infrastructure Partners is a publicly-traded development, finance and fulfillment platform for distributed energy resources across North America, providing solar, cogeneration, energy storage, EV infrastructure and energy efficiency project solutions. Correlate trades at a $46 million market capitalization and manages a $488 million project development pipeline.
Keystone solar initiatives
The new EnerSys project contributes to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s goal to increase renewable energy resources to at least 40% statewide in order to achieve a 26% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
EnerSys’ rooftop solar project is the largest commercial and industrial distributed generation solar project in Pennsylvania, a state that has seen a spat of recent large-scale distributed generation solar projects.
In June 2011, pretzel maker Snyder’s-Lance installed what was then the largest project in the state with a 3.5 MW ground-mounted array comprised of 15,092 panels on 26 acres at its Hanover headquarters.
The Philadelphia Eagles also went green in 2013, with Sunora Energy Solutions installing a 3 MW solar carport system around the Lincoln Financial Field stadium’s perimeter with 11,000 panels. At the time this was one of the largest solar facilities used by a National Football League team.
According to the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), several other consumer goods and retailers have gone solar in the Keystone State, including Crayola, IKEA and Johnson & Johnson.
SEIA reports that Pennsylvania has 955 MW of solar cumulatively installed through Q2 2022, ranking the state 23rd in the country for deployments. SEIA projects that the state may add another 4.1 GW over the next five years.
