Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co. (GREC), a company that acquires and manages renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, has reached commercial operation, according to Rawhide Prairie Solar, a 22 MW project in Colorado. GREC is managed by Greenbacker Capital Management, a national investment firm in the field of sustainable infrastructure.
The system is GREC's first Solar + storage project – a combination of solar energy generation and electricity storage. A Tesla battery on site can store up to 2 MWh of energy and ensures a more reliable power supply in times of high consumer demand or low solar resources.
"Rawhide Prairie Solar was our first Solar + storage project and it's incredibly rewarding to get up and running," said Charles Wheeler, CEO of GREC. “Energy storage will play a crucial role in the future of renewable energies, bringing many practical benefits to consumers and the community as well as benefits for producers and providers of clean energy. We are excited to work with the Platte River Power Authority and DEPCOM to deploy this technology in Colorado. "
Rawhide Prairie is located in the Platte River Power Authority's Rawhide Energy Station and will generate power to power homes in utility owned communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. DEPCOM Power has taken over the engineering and construction of the facility and will continue to manage the project and supply the production to Platte River under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The Rawhide Prairie comprises approximately 150 acres in addition to the 30 MW Rawhide Flats solar plant and increases the total solar capacity of Platte River to 52 MW.