Today, Ameresco and Wells Fargo announced a collaboration to develop and install approximately 30 megawatts (MW) of new, onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) generation assets at corporate and retail locations in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas. Construction will begin in April 2021 and is expected to be finished in 2022.
The onsite solar to be constructed under the agreement range from a six-kilowatt rooftop array on a branch in Connecticut, to a 6.5-MW carport and rooftop system at Wells Fargo’s Chandler AZ campus (see lead image). Other larger projects include a 5.5-MW combination rooftop/ground-mount system to serve an administrative property in San Antonio, TX, and a nearly 2 MW ground mount system adjacent to a Wells Fargo campus in Des Moines, IA.
Wells Fargo has been meeting 100% of its global electricity requirements with renewable energy since 2017, initially through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Today’s announcement supports the firm’s goal to develop net-new sources of renewable energy in locations where its energy needs are the greatest. According to the company, the strategy will also help job creation, tax revenue, and grid resiliency in locations where its customers and employees live and work.
“Wells Fargo aims to meet its energy goals in a way that curbs climate change,” said Nate Hurst, head of Social Impact and Sustainability for Wells Fargo. “We believe you can protect the planet and grow the economy at the same time. By significantly expanding our onsite solar generation, we are delivering impact at the local level and helping to accelerating a just transition to a low-carbon future.”
Wells Fargo commissioned this project, while Ameresco emerged the preferred collaborator. Ameresco worked in partnership with renewable energy advisory firm, CustomerFirst Renewables, also a vendor of Wells Fargo, to plan and develop the solar energy systems.
