This week in the US, Arevon Energy and Matrix Renewables have started construction on two solar projects in the states of Indiana and Texas, while inverter manufacturer Ingeteam has supplied 1GW of inverters to three US solar projects.
Arevon begins construction at 192MW Indiana project
US renewable energy developer and operator Arevon Energy has started construction at its 192MW Ratts 1 solar project near Petersburg, in Pike County, Indiana. While construction was initially planned to begin in late 2023, the company held a groundbreaking ceremony last week, on 21 August, and expects to commission the project in 2025.
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Earlier this month, Arevon started construction at the 60MW Heirloom project, also in Pike County, and the company’s two projects in the county represent a total investment of close to US$400 million. The developer has also signed an agreement with technology giant Meta to sell environmental attributes—including credits and other indirect products of renewable energy generation—produced by the Heirloom project.
Similarly, the developer began construction on the 228MW Posey Solar Project, also in Indiana, in May. Upon completion, regional utility CenterPoint will own and operate the project.
“We are excited about the economic prosperity that Ratts 1 Solar will bring to our community,” said Ashley Willis, executive director at the Pike County Economic Development Corporation. “We have already seen the significant impact that this project has contributed through new jobs and increased local spending, and we look forward to seeing how it transforms Pike County over the next several decades.”
Matrix breaks ground on 284MW Texas plant
Meanwhile, Spanish developer Matrix Renewables and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor SOLV Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for their Stillhouse solar project in Rogers, Texas, which boasts a capacity of 284MW.
The companies held the ceremony earlier this month, on 15 August, and expect to commission the project in the second half of next year. The total investment in the project amounts to US$370 million, and signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Korean automaker Hyundai in May to sell power generated at the project.
“Renewables are a large and growing source of tax revenue for communities and income for landowners in Texas, and this project will enable more Texans to benefit from reliable power in times of high demand, lower electric bills and more job opportunities,” said SOLV Energy CEO George Hershman.
Matrix’s US portfolio pipeline represents around 7GW of renewable energy capacity, and accounts for around half of its total global pipeline. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) expects developers to add 50.5GW of new solar capacity in Texas alone in the next five years, the most of any state.
Ingeteam supplies 1GW of inverters to Acciona Energía projects
Another Spanish company, inverter manufacturer Ingeteam, has also expanded its work in US solar sector, having supplied 1GW of its inverters to compatriot renewable energy developer Acciona Energía for three of the latter’s US solar PV projects.
Two projects were recently commissioned in the state of Texas, with 317MW and 458MW of generation capacity each, and a third 325MW site is in the final commissioning stages in Ohio. Ingeteam supplied a total of 440 central inverters to the three sites, as well as Power Plant Control systems for each.
The 458MW Texas site—Red-Tailed Hawk—was commissioned in May this year after Acciona Energía acquired it from a consortium including Avondale Solar and Solar Plus Development in February 2022.
In November 2023, Acciona Energía signed two solar module supply agreements with Indian solar manufacturer Waaree for both its high-efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and its passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) modules. The deal saw Acciona deploy the PERC modules at some of its US PV sites, including Red-Tailed Hawk, and it will install the TOPCon panels at sites under construction from 2024-26.
Ingeteam said that it has supplied around 5GW of inverter products to the US to date, predominantly to large-scale solar PV and energy storage installations between 100MW and 500MW in size.
