Chicago-based Hecate Energy has awarded the design and build contract for its Sunfish Solar 2 farm in Michigan to Virginia general contractor Bechtel. When completed, the 1,300-acre solar installation will provide enough energy to power 183,500 homes and offset approximately 1.5 million tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions. Offsetting 1.5 million tons of CO2 has the same environmental impact as removing 300,000 gas-powered cars from Michigan’s roadways.
“We are delighted to partner with Bechtel on Sunfish Solar 2. Bechtel brings more than 80-years of experience in delivering renewable energy projects and shares our commitment to a cleaner, greener future and long-term benefits for electricity consumers.” – Fazli Qadir, Hecate Energy Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction.
And according to Hecate and utility partner, Consumers Energy, it’s just the beginning.
Hecate says Sunfish 2 is the next step in its plan to develop 1GW of solar energy in Calhoun County. Phase 2 of the solar farm is expected to produce as much as 309MW and will be “one of the largest solar facilities in the state, playing a crucial role in supporting Michigan’s commitment to generate 50% of its energy from renewable resources by 2030.”
According to a statement by Bechtel, construction began in the last quarter of 2024 and is scheduled to complete in 2026, including the installation of 620 bifacial solar panels. Additional reporting by Construction Dive and others state that the solar farm should be online by the end of 2025.
“Bechtel will utilize its award-winning digital delivery approach to design, construct, and commission the facility, leveraging autonomous technologies to enhance project delivery.” – Bechtel
350 construction workers are expected to be employed at the site, “providing a boost to the local economy and workforce development in the region.” The region – Calhoun County – is located in the center of Michigan’s “mitten,” between Detroit and Lake Michigan, and is home to Battle Creek, known as “Cereal City” because both The Kellogg and Post Corporations have their headquarters there.
Hecate Energy’s project information states that the entire Sunfish Solar Farm (Phases 1 and 2) is expected to generate a combined 1GW of grid-connected energy over 6,000 acres of “non-contiguous areas,” and provide increased power supply, electrical system reliability, and numerous financial and tax benefits for Calhoun County residents.
What Are Bifacial Solar Panels & How Do They Work?
Bifacial Solar Panels, also known as modules, advance and enhance solar energy production by providing double the surface area for energy generation. Instead of the traditional monofacial panels with an opaque backsheet, bifacial panels have a clear backsheet to expose both the front and back of each solar cell. When installed over a highly reflective surface, usually white or very light-colored to “bounce” light, bifacial solar panels can generate an additional 30% or more in energy by collecting the sunlight bouncing off the ground surface.
Some dual-glass, frameless panels claim to be bifacial, but unless they include contacts (busbars) on both sides of the cell, they are not truly bifacial. Typically, bifacial panels need to be installed on a tiled racking system or a ground solar mounting system that is specific to bifacial modules to maximize the panel’s tilt. The more the panel is tilted, the more opportunity for additional energy production from the bounced light.
What is the Importance of “Grid-Connected” Solar Energy?
As renewable energy production continues to expand globally and in the U.S., one of the biggest challenges power generation and distribution companies must address is integrating their electricity into the power grid. The existing electrical power grid in the U.S. was designed to accommodate fossil fuel production, which presents multiple hurdles for large-scale renewable energy providers from both geographic and grid stability points of view.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy,
“A grid-connected system allows you to power your home or small business with renewable energy during those periods (daily as well as seasonally) when the sun is shining, the water is running, or the wind is blowing. Any excess electricity you produce is fed back into the grid. When renewable resources are unavailable, electricity from the grid supplies your needs, eliminating the expense of electricity storage devices like batteries.
In addition, power providers (i.e., electric utilities) in most states allow net metering, an arrangement where the excess electricity generated by grid-connected renewable energy systems ‘turns back’ your electricity meter as it is fed back into the grid. If you use more electricity than your system feeds into the grid during a given month, you pay your power provider only for the difference between what you used and what you produced.”
Bechtel’s Expanding Solar Market
Bechtel is expanding its work in solar and renewable energy sources. Its Cutlass Solar project received Esri’s Special Achievement in GIS Award in 2023 for its “integrated engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) philosophy to utility-scale solar farm projects.” November 2024 reports also show the general contractor is collaborating with Rio Tinto for the design and construction of the Copperton Phase 2 solar facility that will support Rio Tinto’s Kennecott mine in Utah.
How GPRS Ensures Safe Solar Farm Construction
Installing a solar or wind farm requires a significant amount of land (i.e. the 6,000 acres required for Sunfish), and before a bucket hits the ground, it is vital to know the exact location of every underground utility – to avoid accidental line strikes and to be certain the project’s planned footprint positions it for optimal grid integration and transmission.
That’s why before installing any renewable generation or transmission facility, it is important to hire a professional subsurface utility locating service that can accurately locate and map all buried facilities to provide up-to-date existing conditions information. GPRS’ nationwide team of Project Managers provides rapid response service in all 50 states, and maintains a 99.8% accuracy rate for public and private utility mapping. Further, GPRS can capture and integrate above and below-ground as-builts to give customers a complete picture of their site to avoid clashes, rework, and dangerous utility strikes.
That’s why we say we Intelligently Visualize The Built World® for clients nationwide. What can we help you visualize?
Frequently Asked Questions
How does GPRS maintain its 99.8% accuracy rate for utility locating & mapping?
GPRS' insistence on certifying all Project Managers in Subsurface Investigation Methodology (SIM) ensures that any GPRS team member on site has undergone rigorous training to master subsurface utility locating. This standardized expertise in equipment usage, interpretation of signals, and safety protocols minimizes errors, improving the reliability of data collection and analysis. This rigorous approach directly contributes to GPRS maintaining a 99.8% accuracy rate, as certified professionals consistently deliver precise, high-quality results in complex utility locating & mapping projects.
