PV developer American Capital Energy (ACE) has begun construction on nine solar power projects totalling 22MW on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The facilities were financed by Clean Focus Corporation, who will own the projects once they are completed.
Of the 22MW portfolio, 19.5MW will be from projects built on former landfills, creating the largest group of landfill solar projects ever built and financed in the United States.
The projects will sell net-metering credits to the Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC) and to the town of Dennis under nine separate 20-year deals.
Thomas Hunton, president and CEO of ACE said: “American Capital Energy is pleased to develop and construct solar projects on landfills. Solar deployed on landfills is the perfect application…Covering all of the capped landfills and brownfields in the United States with solar could make enough electricity to power our nation on sunlight alone.”
The projects will generate a combined 28,578MWh of electricity during the first year of operation, producing enough electricity to power 3,797 houses in the Bay State.
CVEC and Dennis appointed ACE as developer of the project after a competitive bidding process. Construction is expected to wrap up in May 2014. When all nine installations are completed, Clean Focus will be the largest owner of solar power on landfills in the US while ACE will have built the most PV facilities located on landfills in the US.