Located just 30 minutes apart are two of the largest solar power generation plants in their respective counties of Indiana. They make up almost 10% of the total install capacity of the state which was reported at 150 MW in 2015.
The Pastime Solar Project
Installed with over 84,000 Solar Frontier CIS modules, the two solar power plants were developed by Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR), a national solar energy provider. CCR partners with local communities and utilities to build regional solar farms, thus increasing access to clean energy that is available at or below market costs. The solar projects were both constructed by Vaughn Industries, based in northwestern Ohio. Vaughn, a regional electrical contractor with over 50 years of experience, has installed over 200 MW of solar power projects.
CCR maintains ownership of the solar power plants they develop. In order to meet their goals for long-term performance and cost-effective pricing, they source high-quality components that map to a fixed levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Solar Frontier modules were selected for their conversion efficiency. There are several characteristics of Solar Frontier’s CIS modules that allow it to generate more energy (kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak) compared to crystalline silicon in real-world conditions, ultimately reducing its lifetime cost.
The Pastime Project was constructed on 35 acres of pre-existing farm ground leased in an area just north of state Road 340 on West County Road. Land that has been farmed for a long time can be a viable option for solar plants. It gives soil time to regenerate and the financial incentives from solar leasing can become a generous revenue stream. The project was expected to be completed within 10 weeks. However, during the geo-technical testing, soil composition revealed higher silt and clay particles. This type of soil condition can lead to uneven settling within a solar array. After analysis and review, the project services team concluded the original project design needed to be reinforced to support a certain pullout strength. Solar FlexRack’s project team and Vaugh Industries collaborated to reinforce the installation with double posts. Construction beyond this was smooth and without incident.
The McDonald Solar Project
The McDonald Solar Power Project is located in Vigo County, near Terre Haute, Indiana. It was built on 45 acres and the project is installed with 41,408 Solar Frontier panels. During construction approximately 80 workers were employed. Solar projects support local communities driving revenues through equipment rentals, hotels, restaurants, lease and property taxes, along with generating employment for local workers.
Both solar projects are connected and fully operational delivering clean energy to Duke Energy via a 20-year power purchase agreement. Duke Energy, a Fortune 250 company based in North Carolina, is the largest utility in the U.S. and is ranked first in market value (approximately $53.1 B). Duke Energy Indiana provides service to 810,000 customers in Indiana.
Both Pastime and McDonald solar farms can be identified on the U.S. Energy Information Mapping System which maps electricity lines and power plants across the United States. Both solar projects are sited near electrical substations reducing connection costs and efficiently dispatching clean solar electricity into the grid. McDonald and Pastime solar projects will reduce carbon emissions by 14,933 tons per year. That is comparable to the emissions offset by 6,222 trees per year.
Today nearly 209,000 Americans work in solar and that number is expected to double by 2020. The solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) was established in 2006 and in the last decade solar has grown at an annual compound rate of almost 60%.