Solaris Energy’s 2025 Prospects and Projects
Solaris Energy is kicking off the New Year with an array of exciting prospects that will play a valuable role in advancing the renewable energy economy. Our company, propelled by the multi-year growth of solar energy demand and recognizing the projected increase in electricity needs, is poised to further its work by investing in solar partnerships and projects in 2025 and beyond.
Last year, renewable energy — including solar, wind, hydro, and others — accounted for almost 90% of the total U.S. power generation capacity added in the first three quarters of 2024, according to reNEWS. Currently, solar, and wind account for more than 21% of the country’s generating capacity, while all renewables combined are 30.3%.
“I’m excited to think we might reach 100% renewable energy goals — maybe by 2030 in some places. If you look back at how much progress we’ve made in the last 15 years, and you continue that rate of progress for another 15 years, we might just get there,” says Solaris Founder & President Alex Blackmer.
This growth must not only continue but accelerate for us to meet the rising demand for electricity. Solaris Senior Project Development Director John Street emphasizes the importance of investing and producing commercial-scale solar projects in the coming years based on forecasting research in the field, including a recent Wood Mack report. (Find out more about the report in this Currents Podcast episode). Street observes new demand is coming from data centers, a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing, and a broader trend toward electrification of heating and transport.
“These sectors will require far more demand for power than the utilities can provide in the short term, but the implications for distributed generation (DG) solar are favorable,” says Street. For one, the unmet demand for power will push wholesale power prices up, making solar more competitive. Second, solar and storage installations on-site and behind the meter will bypass transmission congestion and the associated delays of large load interconnection. “Corporations who want their power quick, clean, and cheap will see a solution in DG solar and storage,” he says.
And, as a new administration takes the helm, industry organizations are rallying around domestic solar power as a win-win to create jobs, meet increased demand, and bring the benefits of solar power and solar power investing to more people. “Solar is critical to meeting America’s growing need for electricity and providing power for manufacturing, data centers, cryptocurrency, and AI,” says SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.
Solaris Energy’s 2025 Prospects, Projects, and Areas of Growth
At Solaris, we believe solar power and its investment opportunities should be available to everyone. This principle guides how we develop and establish financing structures for all of our projects. As we begin 2025, the projects in our pipeline have an estimated capacity of nearly 150 MW across 100 sites throughout North America. If all are realized, it would be the equivalent of avoiding 98.8 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
For the beginning of 2025, we are contracted for several exciting projects, with many more to come. These include:
1,053-kW ground-mount project in Maine’s Net Energy Billing program
921-kW rooftop solar project + 618-kW rooftop/carport system at two sites in California for an engineering firm
2.51-MW ground-mount project in California for a large food-processing company
1,663 kW across 7 sites of carports for a California school district
401 kW rooftop/carport system for a condo association in Maryland
525 kW carport solar + 195 kW BESS + EV chargers combined across 4 sites in California
343.16 kW rooftop/carport combo system for office buildings in Massachusetts
“These projects represent a solid mix of host clients who are looking to improve their bottom line and cut operating costs, but also with a heavy motivation from internally established ESG goals,” shares Solaris VP of Strategic Partnerships Shaun Laughlin. “We see this as a growing trend of being able to accomplish multiple organizational goals through the implementation of a single project or multiple projects.”
Below, Laughlin and Solaris Lead Project Developer Hunter Edberg share what they find most powerful and exciting about the company’s and the industry’s bright potential in the coming year.
What makes developing projects for clients on the coasts attractive for investors and clients?
Generally, electricity costs are higher on the coasts, so it can be easier to provide savings to those clients than in other states with lower energy costs. We continue to see the Northeastern U.S. as an opportunity to customize financing solutions for various partners with creative and innovative options.
As these markets become more saturated, more developers will realize the importance of fully NTP-ready projects (those that are ready to start construction and have received all necessary permits and approvals) and true full-cost estimates. Because of our experience in the area, we are in a much stronger position to move clients quickly through the acquisition process and bring projects to fruition.
What about the planned work in 2025 gets you the most jazzed about doing your work?
We’re looking forward to expanding our network of EPC/installer partners we work with to finance projects, solidifying existing relationships, and dramatically increasing our total installed capacity compared with previous years.
Additionally, we continue to expand our financing support to new and underserved markets. Stay tuned for exciting announcements throughout the year!
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