Construction started for 377 MWdc solar PV and 300 MWac/1200 MWh storage project in Arizona

Longroad Energy has announced the financial close and start of construction of Sun Streams 4, its 377 MWdc PV and 300 MWac / 1200 MWh storage system (BESS) in its Sun Streams complex based in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA.

The entirety of Sun Streams 4's energy, sufficient to power 120,000 homes, will be acquired by Arizona Public Service (APS) through a lengthy Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The project is part of the Sun Streams portfolio that Longroad acquired from First Solar in early 2021. In addition to Sun Streams 4, the portfolio includes:

• Sun Streams 2 – 200 MWdc solar project which has been operational since mid-2021 
• Sun Streams 3 – 285 MWdc PV and 215 MWac / 860 MWh storage project currently under construction with commercial operations expected in 2024

Commercial operations for Sun Streams 4 are currently expected by mid-2025.

First Solar will be supplying Longroad with its Series 6 Plus solar modules for the Sun Streams 4 project. The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) responsibilities have been assigned to McCarthy Building Companies. The Sun Streams 4 will be provided by U.S.-based energy storage platform provider Powin. This BESS will incorporate SMA inverters and cells from AESC, integrated into Powin's Modular and Scalable Centipede Energy Storage Platform. Longroad, in collaboration with Powin and NovaSource Power Services, will offer long-term operations and maintenance services. Nextracker is supplying the trackers, and Sungrow is providing the solar inverters for the project. NovaSource Power Services and Longroad's affiliate, Longroad Energy Services, will be responsible for comprehensive operations and maintenance.

The project's debt financing was led by CIBC and included ANZ, PNC, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank AG, CoBank, U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, National Australia Bank, and Société Générale. CIBC served as Coordinating Lead Arranger, Administrative Agent, and Collateral Agent, while ANZ acted as Joint Lead Arranger and Green Loan Coordinator, and U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance served as Joint Lead Arranger and Depositary Bank.