The Black Cap Solar Facility, a two-megawatt solar farm in Lakeview, Ore., was completed by Swinerton Renewable Energy, a leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) builder in the solar utility industry. Black Cap is operated by PacifiCorp to benefit the utilitys 1.7 million customers in six western states.
Swinerton chose the AE 500NX because of Advanced Energy (AE) Solar Energys track record in utility-scale projects, its unsurpassed customer service, and for the products low cost and proven reliability.
Large scale projects like these are helping utilities meet their renewable energy goals at lower costs, and we were sure AE would be the right choice, given its proven success on projects of this size, said George Hershman, vice president and division manager at Swinerton Renewable Energy. We have been impressed by the products built-in features and robust design and AEs customer service has been invaluable. We look forward to working on similar projects with AE in the future.
The AE 500NX features a high-power, transformerless, bipolar design, which reduces balance of system cost (BoS) and increases return on investment (ROI). The inverter allows solar project stakeholders to offer system owners a lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and confidence their PV system will deliver on long-term production goals.
AE is proud to be a part of this project and a member of the Oregon community, which places a high value on solar energy, said Gordon Tredger, president for AE Solar Energy. Our AE 500NX inverters are being deployed widely for utility-scale projects because of the industry-best ROI we offer to developers, utilities, and financiers for their solar energy investments.
The Black Cap Solar Facility was dedicated on Friday, Nov. 9, and provides solar energy equal to the annual usage of approximately 400 average customer homes. The project consists of 9,000 panels installed on 20 acres of land, incorporating tracking technology to follow the path of the sun and increase energy harvest throughout the day.
Were proud to be able to place this facility in an area we serve, while also helping Lake County advance its goal to become The New Energy Frontier, said Mark Tallman, vice president, renewable resources for PacifiCorp Energy, the PacifiCorp unit that operates the companys owned renewable resources. Were also pleased that it provided a business opportunity for Advanced Energy, one of our central Oregon customers. Altogether, the Black Cap project has helped support the economy in two of our counties while providing environmental benefits for the region and renewable energy for our customers.
AEs solar energy business delivers highly reliable inverters, complementary BoS products and robust O&M services that allow its customers to secure more solar projects and grow their business. AE Solar Energy enables utility-scale, commercial and residential solar project stakeholders to offer system owners a lower LCOE and confidence their PV system will deliver on long-term production goals. With more than 30 years of leadership in delivering innovative energy solutions, combined with a legendary reputation for customer service, AE is a trusted partner to solar project developers, financiers and beneficiaries around the globe.
