McCarthy Building Companies recently completed the Palmer and Martin solar centers in central Virginia for Coronal Energy, an independent power producer focused on utility-scale solar and storage projects, and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC), a member-owned electric distribution cooperative.
Located along the Interstate 64 corridor, the two projects totaling 10 MW (AC) will generate enough clean, affordable and reliable electricity to power roughly 1,200 homes annually. Together, they combine to make up the largest solar project in the state for an electric distribution cooperative. CVEC will purchase the projects’ output under a 25-year power purchase agreement, while Coronal Energy will own and operate the facilities.
“Virginia is open for solar business,” said Danny Van Clief, president for Coronal Energy. “With a Charlottesville headquarters and a decade of continuous operations in the state, Coronal is proud to partner with CVEC and McCarthy on a pair of projects that will pave the way for the accelerated adoption of solar energy.”
The Palmer Solar Center in Troy, Va., and the Martin Solar Center in Kents Store, Va., are located in Fluvanna and Goochland counties, respectively, where CVEC serves over 9,000 members. CVEC plans to offer four of the 10 megawatts (AC) generated by the solar centers to its members as a part of Solar Share, its community solar program. CVEC is the first electric cooperative to receive approval of the community solar rate under the new statute.
McCarthy’s Phoenix-based Renewable Energy team served as the Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) contractor, and was responsible for the construction, design, procurement, commissioning and handover of the solar project to Coronal Energy, who developed the project for CVEC.
“Utility-scale solar installation projects are locking in reliability, favorable rates and social responsiblity for energy-focused businesses, municipalities and utilities alike by leveraging the power of the sun, even in nontraditional solar markets like Virginia,” said Scott Canada, senior vice president of the Renewable Energy team at McCarthy. “We are grateful to team up with sustainable-minded solar players like Coronal Energy and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative because they clearly understand the value of this infrastructure, which will provide clean energy for decades to come.”
Approximately 30 local workers were hired to complete the installation of more than 41,000 solar modules at the two sites. To train the local workforce in the emerging solar industry, McCarthy implemented principles of Training Within Industry (TWI), a program originally developed by the U.S. Department of War in the 1940s to help quickly and reliably re-train workers on moderately complex tasks. Through its TWI solar program, McCarthy applies its “Learn. Perform. Repeat” methodology and offers highly effective and efficient training to workers who have little or no experience in solar installations. By deploying TWI and lean construction principles on solar projects from coast to coast, McCarthy is overcoming the biggest challenge faced by the construction industry today and successfully training its solar workforce.
In recent years, McCarthy’s Renewable Energy Team has completed or is in the process of constructing more than 30 utility-scale clean energy projects in communities from coast to coast, representing a combined capacity of more than 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy production. McCarthy earned a 6th place ranking for EPC utility-scale solar installations in the U.S. by Solar Power World’s 2017 Top 500 Solar Contractors.
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