Sunlight: Still considering solar farm in Forsyth

Dec 03 - Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.

An Arizona alternative-energy company has not backed away from plans for a potential solar farm in Forsyth County, though it is on the backburner.

A local media source reported Sunlight had dropped Forsyth sites from consideration.

Jason Ellsworth, chief executive of Sunlight Partners of Mesa, said Thursday the company continues to search for land in the Winston-Salem area "to build small utility-scale projects that generate clean energy for local utilities."

If Sunlight does build a Forsyth solar farm, it would be the county's first.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported in May that the company wants a site of at least 10 acres. Ellsworth said at that time it would take close to a year to pick a site and begin construction.

"We're just not far enough along on the Forsyth sites to determine whether we are a go or not," Ellsworth said.

Among areas in Forsyth being considered is the historic Moravian community of Hope, which lies along Fraternity Church Road between Stratford and Ebert roads. Hope is said to have been established at the same time as Salem, Bethania, Friedberg and other Moravian settlements of Wachovia.

Paul Norby, the city-county planning director, could not be reached to comment on whether or not Sunlight has made a formal application request for a specific solar farm site.

"Forsyth is a more difficult county in terms of finding the right sites," Ellsworth said.

For example, he said the company is "careful to avoid areas that are to be protected from development, even if that development is solar energy."

"We expect within six to eight months to have a clearer projection on what is proceeding or not in Forsyth."

Ellsworth said the company is further along "and looking good" with projects in Alamance and Johnston counties. "Every solar farm project has its challenges and risk, whether interconnections (to the power grid), permitting or other factors," he said.

The impetus for solar farms in North Carolina comes from the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard, which requires public utilities to have the equivalent of 6 percent of their retail sales come from renewable energy and energy-efficient sources by 2015; that's up from 3 percent now. That requirement jumps to 10 percent in 2018 and 12.5 percent in 2021.

Most solar farms have been placed in rural areas, particularly on farmland, because land costs are lower than in urban areas.

The only solar project operating in Forsyth is the 312-kilowattt system at 390 Business Park Drive in Union Cross Business Park, according to the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association. That system is not considered a solar farm, in part because of its size and location on top of a building.

rcraver@wsjournal.com

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