Ameresco Completes “Brightfield” Solar Project on Former Brownfield Site in Illinois

The Danville Solar system is a 2.6 MW installation in central Illinois, built on a former General Motors Plant site

Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE: AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and Inovateus Solar, a top U.S. solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, today announced the completion of their “brightfield” solar project in Danville, Illinois, which was built on a former General Motors Powertrain Division Plant turned brownfield site. Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company, an independent power producer and green energy investment company, is the owner of the installation.

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Ameresco completes 2.6 MW “Brightfield” solar project on former brownfield site in Illinois. (Photo: Business Wire)

The 2.62-megawatt (MW) Danville solar system consists of over 6,600 solar modules and is connected to the Ameren utility grid. The completed project is expected to generate over 3,600,000 kWh of electricity and offset over 1,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. These figures are equivalent to powering 350 Illinois homes and removing approximately 480 cars from the road.

“We can turn a serious problem into a tremendous opportunity by siting solar on closed landfills,” said Tyler Kanczuzewski, Inovateus Vice President of Sustainability. “The Danville Solar project is making productive use of land that might otherwise lie dormant, while avoiding construction in more pristine areas. We’re proud to partner with Ameresco on this project and to help the state of Illinois achieve its clean energy goals.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Inovateus Solar and Ameresco on a clean energy endeavor that gives new life to land that had been idle, while also delivering for the community,” said Jeff Denovan, Senior Vice President of Construction at Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company. “In addition to the positive environmental impact of the solar power this project produces, it will also provide tax revenue to the Danville area.”

This project contributes to Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act, which requires that 2,700 MW of solar to be installed in Illinois by 2030 and that 2% of those projects come from brownfield sites, like closed landfills.

“We’re proud to have been a partner on this project designed to help meet sustainability goals and offer clean, resilient energy to the surrounding community,” said Louis P. Maltezos, Executive Vice President, Ameresco. “This installation is a prime example of using innovative cleantech solutions to identify clean energy uses for public land.”

The Danville solar project began construction in November of 2020 and reached completion in May of 2022.

To learn more about the energy efficiency solutions offered by Ameresco, visit www.ameresco.com/energy-efficiency/.

About Ameresco, Inc.

Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC) is a leading cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, owner and operator. Our comprehensive portfolio includes energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions delivered to clients throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Ameresco’s sustainability services in support of clients’ pursuit of Net Zero include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction, and operation of distributed energy resources. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.

About Inovateus Solar

Inovateus Solar is a leading solar and energy storage development, EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) and supply company in the Midwest United States. Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, the company has over 500 MW of utility, commercial, industrial, and education sector solar PV projects built and over 2 GW under development in the U.S. With strong roots in the communities it serves, Inovateus is passionately committed to investing in the energy future of clients through the wide-scale deployment of solar and clean energy technologies. For more information, visit www.inovateus.com.

About Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC is a publicly reporting, non-traded limited liability sustainable infrastructure company that both acquires and manages income-producing renewable energy and other energy-related businesses, including solar and wind farms, and provides asset management services to other renewable energy investment vehicles. We seek to acquire and operate high-quality projects that sell clean power under long-term contracts to high-creditworthy counterparties such as utilities, municipalities, and corporations. We are long-term owner-operators, who strive to be good stewards of the land and responsible members of the communities in which we operate. We believe our focus on power production and asset management creates value that we can then pass on to our shareholders—while facilitating the transition toward a clean energy future. For more information, please visit www.greenbackercapital.com.

The announcement of completion of a customer’s project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company’s overall total project backlog. This project was substantially completed in the prior year.

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