BlueWave Solar, a leading Boston-based solar and energy storage developer and community solar service provider, announced today recent milestone achievements and impacts of its work in clean energy development and community solar project servicing. As of the end of 2020, the company has developed more than 130 megawatts (MW) of solar projects which are now in operation, and has helped offset over 119,490 metric tons of CO2.
This momentum will continue throughout 2021 as BlueWave Solar has now also secured over 1 gigawatt (GW) of sites for future solar and storage projects across eight states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. BlueWave Solar’s community solar servicing business serves more than 10 well capitalized institutional clients with 20-year service agreements and now has over 500 MW either under active management or contracted for 2021.
Despite the many challenges the solar industry faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, solar has remained a key part of the country’s renewable energy landscape by providing clean energy solutions for residents and local businesses and helping states, educational institutions, non-profits and corporations make progress toward their clean energy goals. BlueWave Solar is proud to be able to continue to bring clean and reliable electricity savings to customers throughout the communities it serves. BlueWave Solar’s community solar projects alone have offset enough CO2 to take 44,000 cars off the road, while producing $5.4 million in cumulative savings to-date for its customers.
“As a country, the road to a sustainable energy future remains long, but we are proud to have a team of bright, hardworking climate warriors who are committed to helping deliver that future and to protecting our neighbors and the planet,” said John DeVillars, Co-Founder and Chairman of BlueWave Solar.
Project Development Milestones
As the company that pioneered the first community solar projects in Massachusetts, BlueWave Solar continues to build innovative projects that power communities and invigorate local economies, all while championing a sustainable approach through the application of holistic land management techniques and conservation best practices.
In 2020, BlueWave Solar began development on more than 300 MW of solar projects and initiated construction of 14 MW of solar projects with direct current coupled battery storage. The company anticipates seeing meaningful growth in the energy storage market as it continues to integrate battery storage in solar projects, and moves to pursue standalone battery storage projects in 2021. BlueWave Solar is using energy storage as an important way to contribute to its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a smarter grid.
Dual-Use Solar Advancements
BlueWave Solar’s unique approach to solar development prioritizes the ecological health of each project site and the company is proud to be leading the charge to broaden adoption of dual-use solar development, or agrivoltaics, a project design model that allows agricultural production and solar to coexist on the same property in a way that builds healthy soil, restores habitat and promotes farming within an array.
A 3.1 MWDC, 13.5 acre, BlueWave Solar-developed project on the Knowlton Farm in Grafton, MA will be the most comprehensive agrivolatic project of its kind in the US. The project will facilitate agriculture production, public-private research, farm infrastructure investments, farm operations support, solar design and construction innovations, community solar savings, and battery storage capabilities. The approach will preserve valuable farmland while simultaneously generating clean energy for the community.
In December 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected the University of Massachusetts Amherst for an award for a three-year, $1.8 million grant to study the effects of dual-use solar, in partnership with BlueWave Solar and other agencies and organizations. BlueWave Solar believes that this research can change the paradigm of how solar interacts with the land, unlocking huge potential for the future of solar in Massachusetts and other states.
In the last year, the company also broke ground on the first dual-use solar project in the state of Maine that will support an existing wild blueberry farm with solar panels positioned above the crops to help control temperatures and preserve water. The 4.2 MW, 10 acre installation is incorporating dual-use on a voluntary basis with the goal of showcasing best practices in agricultural solar construction and operation, and BlueWave Solar has joined forces with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to provide meaningful research for how dual-use agriculture can grow within Maine and beyond.
Social Impact
BlueWave Solar remains committed to being a good neighbor and giving back to the communities it serves through volunteering, donations and supporting causes that strive for positive change. 2020 was no exception. Throughout the year, BlueWave Solar supported 15 organizations across areas of education, hunger, and healthcare and donated tens of thousands of dollars to local non-profits throughout the areas it serves.
BlueWave Solar also launched a community partnership program to support local food banks and healthcare organizations responding to COVID-19. The program combines community solar subscriptions with donations to non-profit organizations, including Easthampton Community Center and Boston Healthcare for the Homeless in Massachusetts, Good Shepherd Food Bank in Maine and Hudson Valley Food Bank in New York, to support their COVID-19 response efforts. In addition, BlueWave Solar made corporate donations to each of the organizations to directly support those in need and struggling with access to necessary food and supplies.
“As we look ahead to the future, BlueWave Solar will remain committed to focusing on doing good for individuals, our communities and our planet,” said Trevor Hardy, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueWave Solar. “We will continue to adapt to the ever-changing market and landscape while driving awareness and doing our part to revolutionize energy for all.”
As a Certified B Corporation, BlueWave Solar strives to use the power of business to solve social and environmental issues, holding itself to the highest standards of transparency, performance and accountability while remaining committed to protecting the planet and positively impacting the lives of others. To learn more about BlueWave Solar, visit https://bluewavesolar.com/.
About BlueWave Solar
BlueWave Solar is on a mission to revolutionize energy with simple, powerful solar solutions. As a pioneering solar developer, BlueWave has built more than 130 MW of solar projects to date. As built, these projects collectively generate enough solar energy to avoid roughly 119,490 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. A certified B Corp, BlueWave Solar has received national recognition for its work to protect the planet, including being named the Clean Energy Company of the Year in 2018 by the Northeast Clean Energy Council, one of the top 100 Impact Companies in the United States for each of the last two years as rated by Real Leaders Magazine, and a leading growth company by Inc. Magazine and the Boston Business Journal.
