Some 45,000 customers of electric co-op Holy Cross Energy will now have access to locally-generated renewable energy, as the organization has entered a 25-year power purchase agreement with Primergy for a 5 MW solar project.
Primergy served as engineering, procurement, and construction firm, and will operate the active facility, as well.
Located near Aspen, Colorado on land leased from the Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District, the project was developed with the local landscape in mind. The facility was originally planned to have 18,000 cubic yards of civil work and a 20-foot berm constructed, but Primergy said it was able to eliminate these elements by using efficient and responsible construction practices. A low-touch land management approach allowed Primergy to install the project without having to grade the site, minimizing environmental impacts, the company said.
The site is under a flight path near the Aspen Airport, and abuts a popular pedestrian trail and residential neighborhood, which posed challenges in viewshed requirements and glare concerns. Primergy implemented solar panels with a specialized anti-glare product to address this issue.
The installation featured bifacial panels and single-axis tracking systems.
Primergy also closed on tax-equity financing from Regions Bank. The company said the bank helped navigate the increasingly dynamic tax equity landscape and deliver expertise in an evolving clean energy market, providing efficient capital solutions.
Oakland, California’s Primergy Solar is a portfolio company of Australian specialist investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, which has a portfolio of over 19.5 GW of energy assets. Primergy is the developer of the Gemini project in Nevada, a 690 MW solar and storage project that is among the largest solar projects nationwide.
