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Standard Solar Completes 1.8 MW Project For New Mexico Co-op

Maryland-based Standard Solar Inc. has completed a 1.8 MW ground-mounted solar array in Las Vegas, N.M., for the Mora-San Miguel Electric Cooperative.

According to Standard Solar, the solar array will provide approximately 5% of the cooperative’s load. With an expected annual output of more than 3.5 million kWh, the 6,336-panel south-southwest facing fixed-tilt project is designed to provide peak power to the electrical grid.

Financing for the project was arranged through a long-term power purchase agreement by Maryland-based Urban Grid Holdings LLC, which focuses on development and financing of midsize to large-sized commercial solar projects. Urban Grid and Standard Solar have partnered on many solar projects.

Tony Clifford, CEO of Standard Solar, describes the site of the array as virtually perfect, with the flat desert to the east and just the beginnings of mountains to the west. Technically, the location on the site of an old saw mill was already zoned industrial and possessed the aforementioned grid access.

“It’s a great site for solar,” Clifford says. “Obviously, it has New Mexico sun. We did the site with the existing electrical lines, which helped a lot.”

The main limiting factor was the constraint of the size of the system, which was defined by the 5% of the total load restriction set by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc., Mora-San Miguel’s parent utility.

One of the typical solar development problems Standard Solar managed to avoid was any opposition to the array from the local community.

“That’s one of the things we’ve noticed about going through project review and approval in New Mexico,” Clifford says. “They are absolutely pro-solar.”

To the maximum extent feasible, Standard Solar contracts with local talent and labor. Taos, N.M.-based Ute Peak Solar is Standard Solar’s local development partner. For this project, the company contracted with Sapello, N.M.-based Energy Concepts for electrical and installation services on the project.

“It’s local money that’s paying for this, so they should reap the benefits,” Clifford says. “It also helps build up local champions who support the project.”

Standard Solar will be providing initial operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the project as part of its typical contract. Clifford says that although the company has not finalized a long-term O&M agreement, it probably will.

The Mora-San Miguel co-op project is a part of Standard Solar’s expansion from a regional into a national solar developer. The company opened an office in Sacramento, Calif., earlier this year and expects to announce several new commercial solar projects in the western U.S. in the coming months. S

- Michael Puttré

 

22 MW Solar Project Dedicated For Mass. Co-op

A 22 MW portfolio of solar arrays on Massachusetts’ Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard has been dedicated by developers and officials.

The Cape & Vineyard Solar One project is expected to supply 45% of the Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative’s municipal electric load. American Capital Energy designed and built the arrays for Clean Focus, which will own and operate the project.

Of the nine solar arrays, seven are sited on capped landfills in the Massachusetts towns of Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Harwich and Tisbury. Two solar arrays are sited on other land in the town of Edgartown.

 

NRG Completes 6.4 MW Rooftop At Mandalay Bay

NRG Energy has completed a 6.4 MW rooftop solar photovoltaic project atop the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

MGM Resorts International, which owns the resort and convention center, says the facility’s large south-facing rooftop provides roughly 20 acres of optimal surface for solar power production.

Phoenix-based Sunora Energy Solutions provided installation services. Unirac Inc. supplied its Roof Mount ballasted racking system for the project.

NRG financed, constructed, owns and operates the installation. Through a power purchase agreement, Mandalay Bay Resort will purchase all the electricity generated by both solar arrays. The PV array is expected to produce 20% of Mandalay Bay’s power demand at peak production.

NRG and MGM plan to build an additional 2 MW solar array atop a future expansion of the convention center, scheduled to begin construction later this year.

 

Panasonic Wraps Two Airport Projects

Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Co. has completed two solar power installations at Hertz Rent-a-Car facilities at Denver and St. Louis International Airports.

Panasonic is also building solar installations for Hertz at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, with the projects expected to be completed later this year, and will start construction for Hertz at JFK International Airport in New York in 2015. When completed, Panasonic’s total installed solar capacity at the four Hertz airport locations will reach 1 MW. The electricity generated by the installations will be used to power Hertz customer service areas and other nearby Hertz buildings.

The projects include a 262 kW installation featuring 1,116 solar panels in Denver, a 152 kW solar system in St. Louis, a 299 kW PV system at the Newark Liberty International Airport, and a 318 kW solar carport installation at the JFK International Airport.

 

REC Group Signs 300 MW Of Supply Agreements

Norway-based REC Group has closed two agreements with solar developer Recurrent Energy to supply an aggregate of 300 MW of photovoltaic panels for utility-scale projects in California.

Under the deals, REC will supply the recently introduced Peak Energy 72 Series panels from the first quarter of 2015 until the second quarter of 2016 at a fixed price.

Over the past several months, REC says it has signed agreements totaling 685 MW for the U.S. residential, commercial and utility-scale segments - of which about 530 MW is slated to be delivered in 2015. This represents 44% of REC’s expected 1.2 GW production next year.

 

SunEdison Closes On
26 MW Vega Solar

SunEdison Inc. closed construction financing for the 26 MW Vega solar power plant, located in Merced County, Calif. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. underwrote the financing.

Vega will feature approximately 78,700 SunEdison 330 W monocrystalline SE-F330BYC photovoltaic solar panels. SunEdison is managing the construction of the plant, which is planned to be operational by the first quarter of 2015. The company will also provide solar asset management services.

“Vega is our latest utility-scale project in California and will be a state-of-the-art facility,” says Ryan Bennett, vice president of project finance at SunEdison North America.

Separately, the company has also completed a 1.7 MW roof-mounted solar PV project in Hesperia, Calif. The project will provide power to Southern California Edison (SCE) and benefit the landowner: real estate developer ICO Group.

SCE is buying the energy via a 20-year power purchase agreement as part of its Solar Photovoltaic Program (SPVP), aimed at advancing solar energy generation. Under the program, the facility owner benefits by leasing its rooftop.

The Hesperia facility is the second SPVP project SunEdison has completed with SCE, with nine more projects currently under development.

 

Pennsylvania REIT To
Install 1.6 MW Rooftop

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) has entered into an agreement with Safari Energy LLC to install more than 5,000 solar panels on the rooftop of the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Under the terms of the agreement, Safari will develop, finance and build the 1.6 MW project. PREIT says the project will convert unused roof space at the Cherry Hill Mall into a productive source of lease income while at the same time significantly reducing the company’s energy expenditures. The system, which will be installed by the end of 2015, is expected to generate 1.8 GWh of electricity per year.

Cherry Hill Mall’s rooftop solar system will be the first solar project for PREIT, which says it is interested in exploring opportunities to create shareholder value while reducing its carbon footprint and energy consumption throughout its portfolio. PREIT and Safari are working together to explore additional solar opportunities at other PREIT centers.

 

Southern Power
Acquires 150 MW Project

Southern Power, a Southern Co. subsidiary, has acquired the 150 MW Solar Gen 2 solar facility in California from First Solar Inc. Solar Gen 2 represents the largest solar project in Southern Power’s portfolio to date.

The project spans three 50 MW sites in Imperial County, Calif. It will consist of more than 1 million thin-film PV solar modules mounted on single-axis tracking tables manufactured by First Solar.

First Solar is also building and will operate and maintain Solar Gen 2. Construction of the project began in 2013, with completion expected in the fourth quarter of this year. Electricity generated by the plant is contracted to serve a 25-year power purchase agreement with San Diego Gas & Electric.

Southern Power, a wholesale energy provider, will initially own 100% of the project, with First Solar agreeing to acquire a minority interest subject to certain terms and upon fulfillment of certain conditions.

Southern Power previously acquired seven solar facilities with Turner Renewable Energy, with Southern Power’s ownership of the facilities totaling 262 MW. The acquisition of Solar Gen 2 is expected to increase the total Southern Power-owned solar capacity to 338 MW.

 

sPower Starts On 7 MW Little Rock Solar

Sustainable Power Group (sPower) recently commenced construction on the 7 MW Little Rock Solar Facility, located in Palmdale, Calif.

sPower will use First Solar Inc. Modules Plus equipment, which includes the company’s photovoltaic thin-film solar modules, mounting structures and wiring integration.

The project is expected to begin commercial operation mid-December. Southern California Edison will purchase the project’s output at a set price for 20 years.

 

SolAmerica Completes Two 1 MW Projects

SolAmerica Energy LLC, a solar design, development and construction firm, has announced the completion and sale of two 1 MW ground-mount solar arrays in Perry and Alma, Ga., respectively.

The projects have been acquired by SunEdison Inc. pursuant to 20-year power purchase agreements with Georgia Power, as part of the Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative.

SolAmerica partnered with SunEdison on site acquisition, design, permitting and other pre-construction services and was responsible for the construction of both arrays. SunEdison led the financing and will own and operate the solar systems.

The Perry solar array is located at Sam Nunn Farm. The Alma array is adjacent to a carpet fiber plant owned by Milliken & Co. of Spartanburg, S.C. Each of the projects uses MEMC solar modules, inverters by Chint Power Systems and Solar FlexRack racking systems.

 

Claire Solar Builds 2.2 MW
Tracking Array In Vermont

Claire Solar Partners LLC has completed a 2.2 MW solar farm in South Burlington, Vt.

The ground-mount array incorporates 8,784 JA Solar 260 W polycrystalline modules mounted on 266 AllSun dual-axis trackers from AllEarth Renewables, which also provided engineering, procurement and construction services for the project.

The array, constructed under Vermont’s Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development standard-offer program, is expected to produce over 3 GWh of electricity per year.

 

Skidmore College Gets
2 MW Solar Project

Washington Gas Energy Systems Inc. has completed a 2 MW solar project at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Dynamic Energy developed the project and also managed engineering, procurement and construction. The ground-mounted array consists of 6,950 solar panels on eight acres of land owned by the college. The project is expected to produce approximately 2.6 GWh of electricity per year, which will be supplied to the college under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

The project is funded with the support of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority through the NY-Sun Competitive PV program.

 

8minutenergy Taps
GSAC On Calif. Projects

8minutenergy Renewables has selected Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. (GSAC) to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for three solar projects located in Kern County, Calif.

The projects include the 16.66 MW Redcrest Solar Farm, 26.66 MW Hayworth Solar Farm and 15 MW Woodmere Solar Farm. The three projects, collectively known as the Redwood Solar Farm, have signed power purchase agreements with Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and the City of Palo Alto Utilities.

Construction on the solar projects is scheduled to begin in December, with completion and grid connection projected for June through September 2015. 8minutenergy has contracted with First Solar for the PV modules and trackers for the projects, with installation to be executed by GSAC.

 

SolarCity And Direct Partner On Solar Storage

SolarCity and Texas-based Direct Energy are installing solar electric and energy storage systems at two BJ’s Wholesale Club locations in Massachusetts.

BJ’s in Framingham will host a 400 kW rooftop photovoltaic system, while the Dedham location will receive a 764 kW array. Both sites will also have a 200 kW/400 kWh DemandLogic lithium-ion battery storage system.

SolarCity will also install a 1.3 MW solar system on BJ’s distribution facility in Uxbridge, Mass., this year. All three of these new solar projects for BJ’s were assisted by a dedicated investment fund created by Direct Energy and SolarCity in 2013 to finance up to $124 million in solar projects.

 

Mariners’ Spring Training Site Gets 345 kW Project

Healthy Planet Partners LLC (HPP) has completed a 345 kW solar rooftop and carport system at the Seattle Mariners’ spring training facility in Peoria, Ariz.

HPP developed and financed the project with partner Kyocera Solar Inc., which also provided engineering and project management services. Sky Engineering and Construction Inc. built the system at the Peoria Sports Complex using 1,380 Kyocera KU250 solar modules.

The project is expected to generate approximately 529 MWh of electricity annually and also provide shade for 96 vehicles at the complex. HPP financed, owns and will operate the solar installation, which the Seattle Mariners will host under a long-term power purchase agreement. The project benefits from a production-based incentive under the Arizona Public Service Schools & Government Program.

 

Canadian Solar Sells Three Plants To TransCanada

Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. has closed the sale of three solar power plants totaling 30 MW to TransCanada Corp.

The 10 MW William Rutley solar plant is located in Inglesid, Ontario. The Liskeard 3 and Liskeard 4 facilities, each with 10 MW capacity, are located in the town of Temiskaming Shores, Ontario.

The three new projects have started generating electricity under 20-year power purchase agreements with the Ontario Power Authority.

 

Primrose Solar Buys
46 MW U.K. Portfolio

Germany-based ib vogt GmbH has sold a portfolio of three new U.K. solar farms with a total capacity of over 46 MW to Primrose Solar.

The solar farms include an 18 MW array at Hern Bay and a 17 MW facility at Littlebourne in Kent as well as an 11.5 MW facility at Ninfield in Sussex.

The projects were developed by ib vogt GmbH, with vogt solar Ltd. acting as engineering, procurement and construction contractor. The firm will also provide operations and maintenance services.

Construction on all of the plants started in July, and they are expected to be connected to the grid by the end of the year, which will qualify them for the Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme. Combined, the three projects are expected to generate over 48 GWh of electricity per year.

 

100 kW Project Helps Zoo Be Carbon Neutral

Madison Australia has installed three rooftop systems with a total capacity of over 100 kW for the Melbourne Zoo. The photovoltaic systems and other initiatives have allowed the zoo to claim carbon-neutral status under the Australian government’s National Carbon Offset Standard.

Hanwha Q Cells supplied the 390 Q.PRO-G3 255 solar panels for the project, which is expected to provide about 140 MWh of electricity annually for the zoo’s elephant and baboon enclosures and its headquarters building.

Yorath Briscoe, managing director of Madison Australia, says Hanwha’s high-efficiency modules were chosen for their low-light performance. On average, Melbourne has just 46 sunny and 139 partly sunny days per year.

Zoo Director Kevin Tanner says that the solar project is in line with other zoo sustainability initiatives. S