SunEdison has entered into a collaboration with one of the fastest-growing solar energy solution providers in the American southeast in an effort to increase the proliferation of PV in the state of Georgia, U.S.
United Renewable Energy (URE) has already worked directly with SunEdison on two projects totaling a combined capacity of 1.3 MW, with SunEdison eyeing a further 800 MW of solar PV by 2017 via various other collaborations achieved through the Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative (GPASI).
The aim of GPASI is to help local Georgia businesses to earn revenue from solar power installations. Thus far, the initiative has backed a 600 kW solar power plant on the site of an underutilized pasture owned by Tom and Pam Coleman proprietors of an independent Bed & Breakfast.
"We are always looking for ways to increase income without increasing our costs to customers," said the couple. "URE and SunEdison showed us how we could use a small area of our land for solar energy and make a profit from it. The whole process has been smooth and having a solar power plant on our property has attracted a new customer base." There were no upfront costs for the couple, and early forecasts estimate that their land revenue is set to increase by a factor of six.
Elsewhere in Stephens County, Georgia, a separate 700 kW solar power plant is currently under construction, with completion due next month. The County Development Authority is set to be the beneficiary, having worked with SunEdison and URE to convert a patch of undeveloped land into a ground-mounted PV installation. "The URE and SunEdison team have brought much-needed economic activity to the county, and helped us bring revenue from land that had long been off the tax rolls," said Stephens County Development Authority executive director Tim Martin.
The CEO of URE, William Silva, remarked that they have been proud to partner with SunEdison and the wider Georgia public, praising all involved for their collective vision and enthusiasm for solar.
For its part, SunEdison has entered into an agreement with GPASI to deliver 800 MW of solar installations in the state by 2017. GPASI will oversee small and medium-size installations targeted for schools, businesses and municipalities, with SunEdison lending its financial expertise, solar technology and service capabilities to each project.
"Small to medium scale distributed generation solar is a major growth engine for our company," said SunEdisons president of North America, Bob Powell. "With the help of our local partners, our customers get the most value and profit from their installation.
"Having a partner like URE that we can trust to consistently deliver a quality customer experience is crucial to our business, and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to bring new business to both of our companies."
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