Electrify America begins initial operations at its massive, 75-Megawatt 'Solar Glow 1' site - Electrek
Electrify America begins operations at 75MW ‘Solar Glow 1’ site
Fifteen months after initially announcing plans for a 75-megawatt solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation project called Solar Glow 1, Electrify America has officially begun commercial operations. This site is shiny, new, and gargantuan – check it out.
When you hear Electrify America, your initial thought is likely EV charging as the company currently operates one of the largest DC fast charging networks in North America.
However, in addition to deploying EA chargers at stations beyond its own branded roadside footprints and continuously offering discounts to drivers to help expedite EV adoption, Electrify America has invested heavily in clean renewables to help bolster the grids that are seeing a higher energy demand from said vehicles.
In May 2022, Electrify America first announced its plans for Solar 1 – a sustainable solar farm in Southern California expected to eventually produce 225 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity annually. The project is part of a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with renewable energy developer Terra-Gen, which operates as a price hedge of sorts.
EA broke ground on Solar 1 in February, and six months later to the day, it has begun commercial operations. Here’s the latest.
Electrify America begins reducing carbon footprint with Solar 1
Top comment by AMortalDefiant
While I'm not a huge fan of EA, this is great news, as is their estimation that this will cover all of their energy usage through this year.
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Per news out of Electrify America today, the solar project in San Bernadino, California, has begun operating over 200,000 solar panels that occupy an area of over one square mile.
As previously stated, Electrify America still expects the Solar 1 project to generate up to 75MW at peak solar capacity, which is equivalent to 500 EVs all charging at once at an average speed of 150kW. The EA president and CEO, Rob Barrosa, spoke to today’s milestone:
Electrify America Solar Glow 1 is an important milestone in our commitment to reduce our energy carbon footprint. Electrify America is committed to being a part of the broader charging solution for EV drivers today and in the future.
EA states that over the course of its 15-year VPPA with Terra-Gen, it expects Solar Glow 1 to circumvent an estimated two million metric tons in CO2 emissions, equivalent to the carbon eliminated by planting approximately 40 million trees. Furthermore, the company’s director of energy service, Jigar Shah, said with Solar Glow 1 now in operation, it adds 100% renewable energy generation at an estimated annual production that will exceed the network’s entire usage in 2022.
Shah does a walkthrough of Solar Glow 1 and discusses its potential in the video below. Enjoy!
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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar
Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.