In Ohio, the development of utility-scale solar projects has rocketed drastically in the last few years. As of the first quarter of 2022, Ohio had 890MW of solar installed. A large percentage of that capacity has been installed since 2020. The state gets a 0.8% percentage of electricity from installed solar energy which is enough to power 106,226 homes in Ohio. The growth projection by the Solar Energy Industries Association says that 5,880 MW will be installed over the next 5 years.
1) Hecate Energy (Chicago, US)
Hecate Energy LLC is a leading developer, owner and operator of clean energy located in the US. It specializes in solar, wind and energy storage. Hecate Energy currently manages over 20 operational or late stage development power-generation projects in the US with 3.6 GW contracted and a 40GW+ pipeline.
In Ohio, the company is developing the Cincinnati Solar project which includes two facilities in Buford, Highland County with a total capacity of 100MW. Another solar project constructed by the company in Roseland, Falls County is expected to become operational by the end of 2022. The generated energy of these solar projects will supply electricity to the city of Cincinnati.
2) Acciona (Madrid, Spain)
Acciona S.A. is a large global operator that develops and manages infrastructure and renewable energy. Acciona Energy is dedicated to develop energy from wind, solar, hydropower and thermal renewables. With over 30 years of experience, the company has established a portfolio with a combined capacity of over 11GW in 16 countries which are operational. Thus, the clean energy produced is enough to cover the consumption of 7.6 million homes globally every year, avoiding the emission of over 13 million tonnes of CO₂.
Acciona’s growth goal is to install new renewable energy with a capacity of 5GW worldwide from 2020 to 2024. Under this strategy, Acciona is developing four solar plants in Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio with a combined capacity of 889MW. The Union Solar Farm project located in Union County, Ohio will provide a capacity of 325 MW.
3) Candela Renewables (California, US)
Candela Renewables, founded by former First Solar Inc, is an independent utility-scale solar developer. It develops solar and complementary technologies like battery storage. The company has made it their mission to develop solar power projects in the US that are reliable, financeable, cost effective and environmentally beneficial.
From the fourth quarter of 2022, Candela Renewables will construct the Mark Center Solar Project with a capacity of 110 MW in Defiance County, Ohio. The solar project will create over 168 construction jobs and cover the annual consumption of 23,000 Ohio homes.
Image Source: Andreas Gücklhorn via Unsplash (05.07.2022)
