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
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!
Author: Scooter Doll
Source: Electrek
Top comment by Johnny Vector
Liked by 1 people
Wait, that covers all the charging from 2022? So, at a capacity factor of let’s say 25%, that means that on average only 125 cars were charging at an EA station anywhere in the US? That’s… underwhelming.
I guess the average charge rate was probably less than 150 kW, but if it’s even 75 kW, that’s still only 250 cars over the entire country that were charging at EA stations. On average, of course, so probably more than that during the day. Still, I’d love to see that number compared to the Supercharger network.
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