Construction group PCL has launched a dedicated solar division called PCL Solar with branches in the US, Canada and Australia.
The creation of the division and its growth will support the increased demand for solar projects in the US, in particular due to the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act last August which is set to accelerate the country’s appetite for solar PV in the coming years.
PCL’s solar division will oversee different aspects of a solar project such as design, project execution or in-house commissioning, and it expects to perform three-quarters of total work needed for each project it is involved in.
The company expects to work on six to eight US solar projects at any given time and aims to increase the number over the years, according to Rodolfo Bitar, business development manager at PCL’s solar operations.
So far, PCL has worked on more than 50 solar, battery energy storage system (BESS) and solar-plus-storage projects for third party companies, including Canada’s largest solar PV project with a capacity of 692MW which is currently under construction, according to PCL.
“For the past 12 years, PCL has focused on growing our solar construction market and a formalised operation will support the significant growth we see in 2023 and beyond,” said Andrew Moles, general manager of solar at PCL Construction.
Moles will be leading the solar division as general manager and has been working at PCL Construction since 2007 and working on solar projects since 2009, during which he has led the company’s solar expansion across North America and Australia.
Moreover, Moles served as a board member on the Canadian Solar Industries Association, and as a board member and vice-chair of the utility-scale solar division of US trade body the Solar Energy Industries Association.