Construction on Coldwater Solar is drawing to a close as the final solar panel was installed late last month. Over 650 workers have put in more than 420,000 hours to bring the project to this point. We are thankful for their work and for your patience and cooperation during the construction process.

As our focus shifts from construction to commissioning and restoration, we want to share some updates on what to expect in the weeks and months ahead and other recent news about the project.

Construction Progress Update

• Final Panel Installation: All 286,720 solar panels have been installed across the site. The panels are a mix of 700W, 705W, and 710W bifacial panels. This means they can generate power off of both the front and back sides of the panel. This allows them to generate more energy by, for example, collecting reflected light off of the snow in the wind.
• Inverter Commissioning: Crews have begun commissioning the inverters, which convert the direct current (DC) power generated by the panels to the alternating current (AC) power that we use in our homes. About half of the inverters have been commissioned so far, with the remainder to be activated in the coming weeks.
• Project Substation: The new substation and switchyard connecting the project to the regional electrical grid is largely complete. Once final electrical work is completed within the array the project will be ready to begin operations.

Check out a video from Barton Malow about the project's construction

Upcoming Activities 

Here’s what you can expect in the months ahead:

• Tracking System Testing: The tracking system that orients the panels towards the sun will be commissioned and tested in the coming weeks, ensuring that the project is always generating as much homegrown clean energy as possible!
• Temporary Parking Lot Removal/Access Road Caps: The temporary parking lots at various arrays are being removed, with the gravel from the lots being used to cap the internal access roads. The lot areas will be decompacted and restored for the landowners and returned to farming or other uses.
• Laydown Yard Demobilization: As construction winds down, the laydown yard will begin to be demobilized. Some trailers may remain in place into the spring however, to host members of the operations team until the project operations and maintenance building is constructed.

Introducing Facility Manager Nathan Martyn

We are excited to welcome Nathan Martyn to the Coldwater Solar team as our Facility Manager. In this role, Nathan will manage day-to-day operations of the facility, including inspection and maintenance of solar equipment and the site as a whole.

Nathan has 14 years of experience in renewable energy, including working as and managing wind and solar technicians in Michigan and throughout the country. A Michigan native, Nathan is excited to be in a long-term position in his home state. When he's not working on-site, Nathan is an avid outdoorsman who loves to hunt and fish.

Coldwater Solar Talks with Ken Delaney in the Morning

Coldwater Solar recently sat down with Ken Delaney of WTVB radio to talk about recent awards from the Apex Clean Energy Conservation Grant Program and what solar energy means to the Branch County economy. Listen to the interview below: