Northern Sun Energy, a solar and storage engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm, has begun construction on two community solar projects for developer Seaboard Solar in Waterford and Boonville, New York. The 23-MWDC project portfolio is supported by NYSERDA grants and will be built using local laborers.

NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is a public benefit corporation that provides funding and support for clean energy development across the state. Community solar arrays of the type being developed at these sites allow nearby homes and businesses to subscribe to an off-site solar project and receive credits on their electricity bills, extending access to solar power to customers who cannot install panels on their own properties.

The two companies have a working relationship dating back to 2017. "Northern Sun Team members have built projects for us since 2017, and their approach to these sites shows why that relationship has lasted," said Shawn Brazo, president of Seaboard Solar. "Neither site was straightforward, and the Northern Sun team brings deep experience and creative problem-solving to difficult terrains and extreme climates."

Each project presented distinct logistical and engineering challenges. The two-parcel Waterford site is accessible only via a bridge with a 20-ton weight restriction, while the Boonville site is subject to updated snow load requirements that rank among the highest in the nation. Northern Sun worked closely with racking partner GameChange Energy to engineer a system that meets the revised code while keeping construction on track, underscoring the planning that can be required to build distributed solar in parts of New York with tight access constraints and demanding weather standards.

"These two sites tested us in different ways," says Chris Balogh, VP and co-founder of Northern Sun. "Waterford's bridge restrictions meant rethinking how we would get equipment onsite, and Boonville's heavy snow load pushed our structural engineers to ensure that the system would remain productive and reliable throughout severe upstate New York winters."

Further information about Northern Sun Energy is available on the company's official website at northernsun.energy.