S&C Electric Company and Lodestar Energy, a leading developer of renewable energy projects focused on solar-photovoltaic (PV) technology, have reached agreements to build nearly 2 MW of additional solar PV plants in Massachusetts. The companies’ combined five solar projects are projected to bring nearly 12 MW of distributed energy resources to the commonwealth, enough solar energy to power roughly 2,000 homes.
Massachusetts has been among the most active states in solar PV, ranking fourth in the country in 2014 with 308.2 MW of solar-electricity capacity, enough to power 50,000 homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. S&C and Lodestar are helping Massachusetts reach its goal of 1.6 GW of solar energy by 2020 by constructing highly efficient solar plants, built on time and within tight budget constraints.
“We’ve worked closely with Lodestar to develop solar projects in a variety of sizes,” says Dan Girard, director—Business Development, Renewable Energy, and Energy Storage, S&C. “Our significant industry experience allows us to develop and build solar-PV plants with increased efficiency and standardization.”
“S&C have brought their strong engineering, utility experience, and history of innovation,” says Jaime A. Smith, Principal and Managing Member of Lodestar Energy LLC. “They have demonstrated their flexibility and problem-solving across a number of complex solar projects, and we are excited to continue this relationship.”
For the two newest projects, S&C will provide engineering, procurement, and construction services for the complete construction of a 1.2-MW solar-PV plant in Carver, Mass., and a 650-kW solar-PV plant in Cheshire, Mass. Once construction of both plants is complete, they will provide enough combined renewable energy to power nearly 300 homes.
S&C previously worked with Lodestar to construct a now-completed 4.1-MW solar plant in Bridgewater, Mass. The companies also expect comparable projects, including the 3-MW Curtis Hill and Depot Hill plant projects in Charlton, Mass. to be completed by the end of 2015. In all five joint ventures, S&C is supplying Lodestar with both AC and DC engineering.
“S&C has been an outstanding partner,” says Jeffrey J. Macel, a Principal and Managing Member of Lodestar Energy. “They have been a pleasure to work with and have gone the extra mile to deliver fully constructed projects on time, and on budget.”
Additionally for each of the five projects, S&C is providing its Vista® Underground Distribution Switchgear units along with interconnectivity to National Grid and Eversource, the local utilities. Vista Underground Distribution Switchgear provides switching and protection through 38 kV, with its key features designed to minimize the interconnection costs of a solar farm. The two latest projects will bring the number of S&C Vista switchgear units deployed at solar power plants throughout Massachusetts to 32.
