The Department of Defense announced that Shaw Air Force Base would be one of five military bases in the Carolinas that will run on solar power. This was done to ensure more reliable and resilient power for the air force base and to do so in a way that is good for taxpayers and the American economy.
The James Island fire department added rooftop solar panels that will offset the energy the fire station uses during the day. This will allow the fire station to have safe, reliable power during emergency situations.
Enphase began manufacturing microinverters at a facility in West Columbia South Carolina. These inverters will serve the residential solar market and help these projects meet domestic content requirements.
Silfab announced a $150 million investment to create 800 new jobs manufacturing solar cells. Cells are a key component in the solar supply chain, and this factory will have 1 GW of manufacturing capacity.
Maersk announced a new cold storage facility in Ridgeville to serve as a key supply chain hub for temperature-controlled goods. In order to keep power costs low for the cooling facility, the facility is going to use a rooftop solar array.
School districts across the Midlands are installing solar to lower energy costs, such as Richland One Schools which will save $29 million over 20 years. Schools are also excited to use the solar panels as a teaching tool for students in their science and math classes.
Global transportation manufacturer Hubner attached a 918 kW rooftop solar array to their Mount Pleasant location. The solar array has 2,700 solar panels and produces enough energy for 113 homes.
A soybean farmer who had land in their family for three generations decided to add solar panels to bolster revenue for her farm. "It'll benefit not only me, but the community more than anything I can think of that could have happened in the future with this property," said the farmer.
Beaufort City Hall added a rooftop solar array that will provide over 365 MWh of electricity annually. "This long term strategic investment in Beaufort reduces their operating costs and saves the city and its citizens money," said Alder Energy Systems VP.
A new study sponsored by the Carolinas Clean Energy Alliance found that solar is going to add huge economic impacts to South Carolina by 2035. This includes growing solar power capacity by 400%, the creation of 3,000 permanent jobs, and generating $261 million in annual income for South Carolinians.
Denmark Technical College added a solar flower to their campus. The school's president said, "We are excited to integrate the solar SmartFlower on campus as it not only provides clean, renewable energy but also serves as a teaching tool for our students."
Sportsman Boat Manufacturing expanded their Dorchester County facility with a $3.5 million investment that will add 100 jobs. The facility also added a state-of-the-art 800 kW solar array to power operations.
Staubli expanded its production capacity for junction boxes, in-line boxes, and connectors at its Duncan facility. The 103,000 square foot facility will make these key components for domestically manufactured solar panels.
Pomega Energy Storage announced a new 3 GWh energy storage manufacturing plant. The LFP battery manufacturing plant will be a $279 million investment and create 575 manufacturing jobs.
A new solar cell manufacturer is coming to Greenwood. The facility is expected online in 2025 and will have a capacity to manufacture up to 3 GW of solar cells.
Wild Hope Farm, a vegetable farm in Chester, added 20.2 kW of solar arrays to its farm. This will provide 90% of the farm's electricity needs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided over $37 million in funds for energy projects -mainly solar projects- in rural South Carolina. This includes solar on family farms and for utility-scale projects in rural communities.
Six colleges throughout South Carolina offer programs or certificates to prepare South Carolinians for a career in solar energy. This includes The Citadel, Clemson University, Greenville Technical College, Midlands Technical College, Technical College of the Lowcountry, and Trident Technical College
EPC Power announced a $5 million investment in a utility-scale inverter manufacturing in Greenville County. This factory in Mauldin will create 150 jobs and make inverters that are uniquely suited for energy storage and solar.
South Carolina was awarded $124.4 million in federal funding to expand community solar and grow its clean energy workforce. The money will go towards launching a community solar initiative to serve singe and multi-family homes for low income South Carolinians.
Bridgestone's Aiken manufacturing facility is now powered by a 2.4 MW solar array. Bridgestone added the solar project in part due to significant electricity cost savings.
MTU America installed a 1,350 kW solar array at its manufacturing facility in Greenville. The solar array will provide energy as the manufacturer makes luxury cars.
Durham Farms, a community of 207 homes in Spartanburg, partnered with Palmetto to add rooftop solar. The CEO said that solar was the most cost-effective measure for the housing units to reduce electricity usage and costs.
The Savannah River Site, which helps clean up nuclear waste from historic mining operations, deployed an innovative solar-powered pump system. This ensures that cleanup will be safe for South Carolinians and come at a low cost.