Vote: Project of the Year 2024 | 1 MW to 10 MW

Project of the Year POY solar

Here are the over 1 MW to 10 MW nominees for the 2024 Solar Builder Project of the Year awards.

The form is at the bottom of the page. You are allowed to vote once per day from now until Friday, Oct. 11 at midnight (ET). (FYI: Our voting widget will let you vote more than once a day, but we filter these out in the back-end. Sorry, ballot stuffers.) Winners will be announced and prominently featured in the Q4 issue of Solar Builder magazine and online in December.

The 2024 Project of the Year Awards are sponsored by Aurora Solar. Witness the impactful synergy as Helioscope accelerates design, slashes timelines, and fuels a forecasted 20growth for Skyview.

Be sure to vote in every category!


RJ Noble Rooftop Solar Array

Orange, California | 1.1 MW

RJ Noble Tenco solar rooftop

The RJ Noble Co., an asphalt supply, transportation, and construction company, operates energy-intensive asphalt and crushing facilities that consume approximately 4,000,000 kWh annually. With the rising cost of energy in California, these operational costs created a significant challenge. TENCO SOLAR designed a system to offset their rising electricity expenses, while also addressing the primary challenges: a lack of space at the asphalt and crushing facilities, needing to hurry to secure California’s NEM 2.0 tariff. The solution was available rooftop space at a nearby storage facility, located 1,560 feet away. To overcome the distance challenge between the two facilities, TENCO SOLAR requested a new 2400 Amp 480V 3Phase Electrical Service at the storage facility to transfer power virtually under SCE’s VNEM Program. To adhere to the requirement of no roof penetrations, the team used an innovative industrial-strength adhesive to affix solar panels to metal roofs.

Developer: RJ Noble | EPC/Installer: TENCO SOLAR | Modules: ZNShine | Inverters: SolarEdge | Storage: N/A | Mounting/Racking: Solar Stack System


Raymond James Financial Solar Garages

St. Petersburg, Florida | 1.7 MW

Raymond James Financial took a significant step toward sustainability with the installation of two solar parking garages at its St. Petersburg, Florida, headquarters. The project features 1.7 MW of solar power spread across two large garages to offset 60% of the facility’s energy demand while providing shaded parking for 600 vehicles. These canopies are built to withstand hurricane-force winds of 150 mpg, a crucial consideration given Florida’s tropical climate. AGT utilized its unique 3-D and virtual renderings software to help the client visualize the project and its scope and benefits. Executing this project was not without its challenges, particularly post COVID-19 pandemic, which caused supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. AGT successfully navigated these hurdles, including the complex directional boring of electrical connections for the P3 garage and coordinating construction on an active campus. With a 12-month permitting process, the project was completed in just eight months, a testament to AGT’s efficiency and expertise in integrating solar solutions into existing structures.

Developer: Raymond James | EPC/Installer: Advanced Green Technologies | Modules: Talesun | Inverters: Ginlong | Storage: N/A | Mounting/Racking: AGT Sawtooth Solar Canopy


Stainless Structurals Rooftop Solar

Conroe, Texas | 1.97 MW

Freedom Solar Power completed the largest commercial solar installation in the greater Houston area in partnership with Stainless Structurals, a supplier specializing in the design, production, and distribution of stainless steel solutions. The rooftop installation encompasses over 4,000 solar panels across 118,000 sq ft of roof (a half-mile), offsetting energy usage by 78% and saving the company $4.8 million over the next 25 years. The other big benefit was indoor temperature management. The Stainless Structurals team investigated a thermal barrier solution for their rooftop to reduce the temperatures on the floor of the manufacturing facility, and was surprised to learn that solar panels would reduce the internal temperature of the Stainless Structurals facility by 38%. This significantly cut air conditioning costs, while naturally improving indoor comfort and protecting building materials. Those other cooling methods would also not covered by tax credits.

Developer/EPC/Installer: Freedom Solar Power | Modules: Qcells | Inverters: SolarEdge | Storage: N/A | Mounting/Racking: S-5! and Unirac


Palmer Street Agrivoltaics

Palmer, Mass. | 2.032 MW

Bluewave palmer street agrivoltaics project of the year

The Palmer Street project is part of a portfolio of five projects across Massachusetts that incorporate the BlueWave’s innovative dual-use solar design and operate under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. The project was designed to allow for uninterrupted farming operations beneath the solar arrays including livestock grazing and crop growth. BlueWave collaborated closely with the landowners and farmers to ensure that they could continue to use their land to the full extent. For farmers, agrivoltaics enables them to maintain or expand farming operations and agriculture production, and generate revenue for the landowner and the local community. For states and municipalities, it protects local farming and supports statewide agriculture goals and for all of us. For this project, Lowell General Hospital also partnered with BlueWave as an anchor customer. Their participation enables low-income residents to engage in renewable energy opportunities as well. As an anchor customer, Lowell General Hospital will receive 50% of the project’s energy capacity in the form of community solar bill credits.

Developer: BlueWave | EPC: Mill Creek Renewables | Installer: J.Bates & Son (civil), Mass. Electric Construction Co. (electrical), ATI/RPCS (racking), CGLS (foundation) | Modules: Qcells | Inverters: SMA | Storage: | Mounting/Racking: ATI/RPCS


Cincinnati Zoo Solar Carport

Cincinnati, Ohio | 2.85 MW

Cincinnati zoo solar carport project of the year

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is not new to solar, installing its first system in 2006. In 2011, the park expanded with a 1.56 MW carport. In August 2024, the zoo completed its third system, bringing an additional 2.8 MW of solar and shade for its visitors. To help offset energy poverty in the neighborhood, the zoo also installed an additional 165 kW of panels through its Community Solar Resiliency Program (CSRP) to support smaller systems at churches, community centers, and schools for the town. The zoo is closer to its goal to be net-zero by 2025, and the new system is now the largest publicly accessible urban solar array in the country. The new array is 80% larger in terms of max output as compared to the original array, but it’s only 20% larger in terms of square feet thanks to larger format bifacial modules. According to officials, the solar systems will reduce the facility’s annual power bill to around $300,000 by 2030-2032, down from $1.6 million in 2005.

Developer: Cincinnati Zoo | EPC/Installer: Melink Solar, Terrasmart | Modules: VSUN | Inverters: CPS | Storage: N/A | Mounting/Racking: Terrasmart


Cabrillo College Solar + Storage

Aptos, California | 3.4 MW

Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, is committed to creating the best educational environment for students. The college and ForeFront Power have developed a 3.4 MW solar energy and storage system at the campus, covering four parking lots. This project will generate 4.4 million kWh of renewable electricity annually, and Cabrillo College is projected to save over $10.4 million in operational expenses over the 20-year lifespan of the system. This solar and storage investment is expected to remove two-thirds of their utility bill costs and secure predictable energy costs. Santa Cruz County’s Director of the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, Dave Reid, praised the large project for its contributions to local resiliency, saying, “We know that our electric transmission infrastructure is vulnerable to wind and other natural disasters, and if that power has to come from far away, you have more vulnerability to that infrastructure. So local projects like the one Cabrillo is embarking upon, it’s helping to build more resilience for the county in the community in the region.” This project was also a full circle moment, as construction was overseen by a Cabrillo College graduate.

Developer: ForeFront Power | EPC/Installer: Unified Renewables | Modules: JA Solar | Inverters: CPS | Mounting/Racking: MBL


Woburn EPA Superfund Site

Woburn, Mass. | 4 MW

Woburn EPA superfund project of the year solar

The Woburn Industri-Plex is a 245-acre site with a long history of industrial use dating back to the 1800s and had been ranked among the top five most polluted Superfund sites in the United States. By the 1980s, the land was considered unusable due to contamination from decades of industrial activity. Standard Solar acquired the Woburn project from its development partner, ECA Solar. The project consists of two phases: The first, a 3.35 MW array, is already operational, while the second, a 0.866 MW phase, will be completed by year’s end. Additionally, the project is helping the city of Somerville save money on electricity by covering more than one-third of the energy needs for its municipal buildings. The transformation of this former brownfield site didn’t happen in isolation. It required a partnership rooted in innovation and determination. ECA Solar’s expertise in large-scale solar development and Standard Solar’s leadership in financing and operations proved essential in overcoming the challenges of redeveloping a brownfield site.

Developer: Standard Solar and ECA Solar | EPC/Installer: ECA Solar | Modules: Jinko and JA Solar | Inverters: Yaskawa Solectria Solar | Mounting/Racking: Terrasmart


Hampden Landfill PV + BESS

Hampden, Mass. | 5.4 MW

The Hampden Landfill Solar Project stands out as a technical achievement by combining a solar array with a dc-coupled battery energy storage system (BESS) on a capped landfill that was previously unsuited for any development purpose. A key technical aspect is Ameresco’s dual approach to the solar installation. Half of the PV array is installed on the capped landfill using a ballasted fixed tilt racking system to prevent disturbing the capped area, while the other half uses a standard ground screw fixed tilt racking system. This design maximizes the project’s potential while efficiently using the land. As a result, the project generates 6.6 MWh of renewable energy and contributes to Massachusetts’ decarbonization efforts. This project also emphasizes environmental stewardship. Located in a Priority Habitat for the state-listed Eastern Box Turtle and Wood Turtle, both species of Special Concern, Ameresco mitigates this by protecting over 14 acres of suitable habitat. The company implemented a species protection plan during construction, safeguarding the turtles’ feeding, sheltering, and breeding environments, ensuring the preservation of local biodiversity.

Developer: Ameresco | EPC/Installer: Ameresco, Mass. Electric | Modules: JA Solar and Qcells | Inverters: SMA | Storage: Powin | Mounting/Racking: DCE


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