VPP for Canadian community: Energy storage company sonnen has launched its maiden virtual power plant (VPP) in Canada, deploying 100 of its batteries, representing nearly 0.5 MW of power and more than 2 MWh of storage capacity for the grid. This prototype is installed at Blatchford Lands, a master-planned community designed for net-zero living and reduced environmental footprint. It can provide the residents with emergency backup power, daily management of peak energy use and demand response, among other grid services, for the overall management of the electric grid. The company partnered with Blatchford Lands’ builder Landmark Homes, electricity retail provider Solartility and the University of Alberta. According to sonnen, this project is the first of its kind on scope and scale for Canada and sets the standard for innovation in solar-powered battery storage systems deployed across master planned communities as a VPP.
$1 billion for Clearway Energy: US renewable energy company Clearway Energy Group has secured corporate credit facilities totaling over $1 billion with Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking acting as Coordinating Lead Arranger and Administrative Agent. Max Gardner, the company’s Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance, said, “These facilities provide us with the financial headroom and flexibility we need to grow and capitalize on the opportunities ahead of us.” Clearway touts a 30 GW pipeline of solar, wind and battery storage assets across 28 US states.
$245 million for Enfinity: Independent power producer (IPP) Enfinity Global has successfully expanded its structured credit facility in the US to $245 million, lead-arranged by Nomura. This expansion builds on the $97 million facility it signed with Nomura in July 2024. It plans to use the proceeds to finance its development and ready-to-build (RTB) capacity in the US. Enfinity said this transaction is part of its broader financing strategy to secure long-term capital for the development, construction and operation of a 22 GW utility-scale solar and energy storage portfolio in the US.
ARRAY acquiring APA Solar: US solar tracker manufacturer ARRAY Technologies has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire APA Solar, LLC, which provides engineered foundation solutions and fixed-tilt mounting systems for solar projects. ARRAY says APA’s products are manufactured in Ohio and are eligible for incentives tied to domestic content. On the completion of the acquisition process, ARRAY plans to offer an integrated tracker + foundation system, leveraging the strengths of both entities. It will provide EPCs and developers with domestically manufactured, easy-to-install solutions for hard, mixed, and frost heave soil conditions for solar projects. Additionally, it will also offer APA’s foundation solutions for other tracker systems as well as the company’s fixed-tilt racking products.
VPPA for Sasol in the US: French IPP Akuo Energy has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Sasol International Chemicals, part of Sasol Limited, for 91 MW of solar PV capacity. This capacity will generate 250,000 MWh annually as part of Akuo’s 195 MW Tennyson Solar Farm in Coke County, Texas. This equals around 50% of Sasol’s Lake Charles Chemicals Complex. The 15-year PPA will come into effect in H2 2026. It will reduce Sasol’s carbon emissions by close to 90,000 tons per annum (ktpa) over the course of the PPA.
Precycling for solar contracts: Engie North America and SOLARCYCLE are piloting a new ‘precycling’ provision to incorporate solar panel and project component recycling into PPAs. The initial agreements are for 4 projects representing a combined 375 MW capacity. Under the agreements, around 1 million solar panels from these projects will be recycled when they reach the end of their life, thus supporting the full circularity of projects and helping developers incorporate end-of-life material recycling at the start of the project’s lifecycle. SOLARCYCLE estimates that this will divert 48 million pounds of material from landfill and avoid 33,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Meta contract for Adapture: US utility-scale solar and energy storage developer and operator, Adapture Renewables, has entered 2 Environmental Attributes Purchase Agreements (EAPAs) with technology group Meta. These contracts comprise 360 MW across 2 solar projects in the ERCOT region, which will reach commercial operation in 2027. Recently, Meta signed new clean energy deals worth 791 MW with Invenergy in the US to feed its AI ambitions (see Meta Scales Up Renewables With Around 800 MW Agreement).
