Duke Energy Renewables Acquires 3 N.C. Solar Farms

Duke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy’s Commercial Businesses, purchased the portfolio of PV projects from ESA Renewables, LLC, which designed and built the generation sites. The portfolio consists of:

• The 4,298-panel Murphy Farm Solar Project, which is sited on approximately eight acres of purchased land and achieved commercial operation in May
• The 4,340-panel Wingate Solar Project, which is sited on approximately seven acres of purchased land and achieved commercial operation in August
• The 4,242-panel Holiness Solar Project, which is sited on approximately nine acres of purchased land and achieved commercial operation in November

The power from each of the newly acquired solar farms is sold through Blue Ridge Mountain EMC to the Tennessee Valley Authority, as part of TVA’s Generation Partners program. The length of the power purchase agreements is 10 years. TVA will also receive the renewable energy certificates (RECs) created by the projects.

The projects are located in or near the town of Murphy, N.C. Canadian Solar manufactured all of the panels installed at the sites. ESA Renewables will handle operations, monitoring and maintenance at each of the solar farms.

The three projects join Duke Energy Renewables’ other commercial solar farms in the state: the 1-MW Shelby Solar Project, the 1-MW Taylorsville Solar Project, the 1-MW Martins Creek Solar Project, and the under-construction 5-MW Murfreesboro Solar Project.

Duke Energy Renewables acquired the Martins Creek Solar Project in Murphy from ESA Renewables in April 2011. That project, which is sited on the grounds of the Martins Creek Elementary School, generates enough electricity to power more than 150 average-sized homes and enough revenue for the district to staff approximately two full-time teachers.

All of Duke Energy Renewables’ commercial solar farms are located outside of Duke Energy’s regulated service territories in North Carolina.