Orlando-based NovaSol Energy just finished a $6 million, 5-megawatt solar project for the city of Mount Dora — and many more are in the pipeline.
The solar energy construction contractor's project in Lake County, which will power more than 600 homes, created 28 temporary construction jobs and added two new jobs with NovaSol.
Why this matters: New solar projects can create opportunities for contractors and bring new jobs.
Haseeb Qadri, CEO of NovaSol, told Orlando Inno the company works with mid- to large-scale commercial customers and municipal utility clients and is seeing about 50% growth annually.
"A lot of our clients include municipalities like the city of Bartow and the city of Mount Dora, as well as companies like Goodwill Industries, City Beverages, medical offices, dealerships, warehouses — essentially anyone with a 20,000-square-foot rooftop who consumes electricity."
NovaSol often builds the solar facilities, while another company or utility manages them once completed. It offers rooftop, ground-mount and covered parking solar construction.
Among the projects within an hour radius of the city of Orlando, it is building:
- A 2-megawatt rooftop project with City Beverages of Orlando
- A 2.2-megawatt project for a family office — which is a type of private wealth management firm — that mines cryptocurrency
- Multiple smaller rooftop projects for companies
- A 2.4-megawatt project with a local retail outlet
In addition, NovaSol has more projects in other parts of Florida in the pipeline.
In addition, Qadri said many cities plan to encourage more solar, which bodes well for the industry's growth.
For example, the city of Orlando implemented a streamlined digital permit application process for solar construction projects. The city also set a goal to power all municipal facilities with renewable energy by 2030.
As these initiatives continue to grow across the state and in Orlando, it will encourage and facilitate the private sector in adopting renewables, specifically solar, Qadri said. "This, in turn, will bring more local job opportunities."
Meanwhile, Florida has about 461 solar companies as of fourth-quarter 2022, including 229 installers/developers, 63 manufacturers and 169 others, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Association. The Sunshine State ranks No. 3 for total solar capacity installed.
The U.S. added 20.2 gigawatts of new solar capacity in 2022, down 16% from 2021, according to a Solar Energy Industries Association report done in partnership with United Kingdom-based energy research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
The report attributed the drop to an investigation into new anti-circumvention tariffs by the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as equipment being detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection tied to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
“While 2022 was a tough year for the solar industry, we do expect some of the supply chain issues to ease, propelling 2023 growth to 41%,” Michelle Davis, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie and lead report author, said in a prepared statement. “With major uncertainties ahead of the industry, our high- and low-case scenarios can help the industry benchmark potential outcomes."
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