Enterprise Solar Farm

Enterprise Solar Farm

Company type	Power station
Industry	Solar energy
Founded	September 2016 (2016-09)
Headquarters	Iron County , United States
Products	Electricity generation (photovoltaic)
Owner	NRG Energy
Number of employees	500 (construction phase)

The Enterprise Solar Farm is a photovoltaic power installation with a capacity of 80 MW_AC (105 MW_p) situated roughly 25 miles west of Cedar City, Utah within Iron County. Developed by SunEdison and constructed by Mortenson Construction, the facility became operational in September 2016. Covering an area of 650 acres, the project involved an investment close to $163 million.

The electricity produced is sold through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Rocky Mountain Power, which supplies power across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. Utilizing flat-panel photovoltaic modules equipped with single-axis tracking systems, the plant achieved an average capacity factor of 31.9% between 2017 and 2019. Its yearly energy output totals approximately 223 GWh, translating to about 343 MWh per acre.

Project details

The initial planning phase was undertaken by the independent renewable energy company First Wind, established in 2002, which expanded into solar photovoltaic projects around 2012. The Enterprise Solar Farm forms a component of the larger 320 MW Four Brothers Project, which also includes three adjacent 80 MW units collectively known as the Escalante Solar Project, located approximately five miles north of Milford, Utah in Beaver County. Each of these 80 MW installations occupies between 600 and 700 acres.

In November 2014, SunEdison and its TerraForm Power yield co acquired First Wind along with its Utah-based assets. Concurrently, construction commenced on the 20.2 MW Seven Sisters Project, comprising several roughly 3 MW solar facilities distributed across Beaver and Iron counties. To finance the Four Brothers initiative, SunEdison partnered with Dominion Resources to establish Dominion Renewable Energy, which committed $150 million from SunEdison and $500 million from Dominion towards initiating construction in July 2015. This joint venture also encompassed the development of the 210 MW Three Cedars Project, consisting of three similarly sized plants located west of Cedar City.

Mortenson Construction was responsible for building the Four Brothers sites, while SunEdison supplied approximately 1.3 million crystalline silicon solar panels sourced internationally. The construction phase across all four locations employed around 500 workers and reached completion by September 2016. Collectively, these facilities generate enough electricity to power about 90,000 homes and are projected to contribute $66 million in property and income taxes to the local economy over two decades. Operation and maintenance services are provided by Swinerton Renewable Energy.

Despite filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 21, 2016, SunEdison successfully completed the project on schedule using $300 million in bankruptcy-related financing. On September 13, 2016, SunEdison divested its ownership in the finished assets through a rapid sale process (a fire sale), with NRG Energy emerging as the purchaser.

Electricity production

Generation (MW·h) of Enterprise Solar

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
2016					19,444	22,355	25,675	21,539	21,333	16,319	13,314	10,288	140,267
2017	9,059	13,387	20,048	22,019	26,244	28,692	21,376	20,487	18,313	19,262	13,251	12,128	224,267
2018	11,689	13,747	17,776	21,543	24,826	26,680	23,255	23,218	22,315	16,640	13,716	9,931	225,336
2019	11,444	12,059	17,964	21,148	22,515	25,325	23,971	24,402	20,143	19,800	12,306	8,970	220,046
Average Annual Production (2017–2019):													223,216

See also

• Solar power development in Utah
• Compilation of power plants in Utah