Busy week of announcements from Washington, D.C.-based Sol Systems. On Tuesday, the acquisition of a 91 MWdc solar development project in Spencer County, Ind., from Orion Renewable Power Resources, was made official. On Wednesday, construction of Nebraska’s largest solar farm was finished, which was developed and operated by solar energy developer Sol Systems in partnership with EPC firm GenPro Energy Solutions.
The Spencer County, Ind., project, known as Grandview, is part of Sol Systems’ Impact + Infrastructure growth strategy, which enables local employment opportunities and additional community benefits.
“This acquisition builds on Sol Systems’ significant footprint in the Midwest,” said Yuri Horwitz, CEO of Sol Systems. “We are eager to kick-off the construction phase of this project which will bring new clean energy and opportunities to the local community and region.”
Sol Systems will develop, own, and operate the project. Once complete, the project will produce enough solar energy, annually, to power over 13,000 homes.
The Norfolk, Neb., project us paired with the Nebraska Public Power District’s first large-scale battery storage unit as a 8.5 MW solar + battery storage system. The array is part of NPPD’s community solar program, SunWise, allowing local Norfolk residents to purchase clean energy produced from the array at a fixed price to offset normal retail electricity.
Sol Systems and NPPD entered a 30-year power purchase agreement for the energy of the array, providing a fixed cost of energy for NPPD and Norfolk residents for decades.
During construction, the project site was planted with pollinator habitats to support local bee and butterfly populations. Prairie flowers and grasses will build up a thriving native habitat, stabilizing and supporting soil health while providing habitat for species at risk.
In addition to the energy and educational benefits of the array, Sol Systems partnered with Northeast Community College (NECC) to establish three scholarships for students interested in the school’s Electrical Construction and Control Program. The scholarships, which cover two years of tuition for students, were awarded this spring. In further partnership with NECC, internships with GenPro were established for students already enrolled in the Electrical Construction and Control Program, providing them with hands-on experience helping to construct the array.
“As the EPC who has constructed the most municipal solar arrays in the State of Nebraska, it is really important that we can give back to the communities we serve,” said Molly Brown, EVP of Corporate Strategy at GenPro. “Education is at the core of who we are, and the partnership with NECC allowed us to train the next generation of solar electricians. We need more skilled labor as this industry continues to grow.”
Tags: Community Solar, utility-scale
