Q-Cells Accelerates 120MW Project Pipeline with Two Completed Solar Plants and Three More on the Way

Q-Cells North America announced during the 2010 CanSIA conference that it has successfully delivered two solar facilities in Ontario, and has been awarded three additional projects. Starwood Energy Global Group, LLC, a private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure projects, worked with Q-Cells on the projects.

“The completion of two solar facilities gives us the confidence to work with Q-Cells North America on three additional installations,” said Bradford Nordholm, CEO of Starwood Energy. “We are impressed with Q-Cells North America’s ability to bring its best-of-world technologies to the PV market, and are looking forward to our expanding partnership.”

The two completed solar facilities were awarded a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) under the Ontario Power Authority’s (OPA) Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP). Local jobs were created for engineering, construction and ongoing management, operations and maintenance of the new facilities, which are fully operational.

Additionally, the solar facilities provide power for up to 8,000 Ontario homes, generating their peak power during the middle of the day, a time of highest demand on the local power grid. The facilities also reduce yearly carbon emissions by an amount equal to displacing 3,800 cars and light trucks each driving 12,000 miles per year or to planting more than 16 million trees in Ontario’s forests.

Boris Schubert, COO of Q-Cells North America, led the projects, hiring the team of experts responsible for delivering the end-to-end solution with proven German engineering, construction, operations and maintenance.

“North America is one of the most important solar markets in the world. We are pleased with the momentum of our North American projects and look forward to further development,” said Marc van Gerven, CEO of Q-Cells North America. “Our proven German engineering and well-established ecosystem of partners can successfully be applied to the unique demands of the North American market, and we are committed to accelerating the growth of solar power generation throughout the region.”

Dr. Nedim Cen, CEO of Q-Cells SE, said, “Securing 120 megawatts of solar projects in just one year in North America is proof that our internationalization plan is working and gaining momentum.”