Northern Sun Energy, a solar and energy storage EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor, is teaming up with developer Seaboard Solar to install an additional 23 MW of solar projects in upstate New York.

Supported by grant funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Seaboard Solar will develop two community solar projects in Waterford and Boonville, New York. NYSERDA is funding these efforts through the NY-Sun Program, which aims to back a network of qualified installers and make solar energy more accessible to New York homes, businesses and communities.

In 2022, the multi-billion-dollar program’s framework was expanded to keep up with state climate goals, targeting 10 GW of solar by 2030 to power nearly 700,000 homes annually. In exchange for grant funding, NYSERDA provides performance-based incentives for developers such as Seaboard Solar to reduce capital burn.

But these two new projects, Northern Sun Energy vice president and cofounder Chris Balogh explained, presented them with unique logistical challenges.

"Waterford's bridge restrictions meant rethinking how we would get equipment onsite, and Boonville's heavy snow load pushed our structural engineers to ensure that the system would remain productive and reliable throughout severe upstate New York winters,” Balogh said in a statement.

The Waterford project, spanning two parcels of land, is reportedly only accessible via a bridge with a 20-ton weight restriction. Meanwhile, the Boonville site's updated snow load requirements rank among the highest in the nation.

To overcome this, Northern Sun worked closely with racking partner GameChange Energy to engineer a resilient system that meets the updated code while keeping construction on track.

"Northern Sun team members have built projects for us since 2017, and their approach to these sites shows why that relationship has lasted," said Shawn Brazo, president of Seaboard Solar.

Once completed, these two community solar projects will bring Northern Sun and Seaboard’s combined active community solar footprint in New York to more than 56 MW. Their existing operational portfolio includes the Coventry 1 & 2 Solar Farm (15.22 MW), East Greenbush Solar Phase 1 (13.01 MW) and the Troy Solar Farm (5 MW), fully interconnected to generate local renewable power for thousands of homes.

This expansion comes amid a broader surge for community solar projects in upstate New York. In June, energy developer PowerBank Corp. reached commercial operations for a 7.01-MW community solar project now owned by global device manufacturer Honeywell International Inc.

That project is part of a larger $41 million transaction by Honeywell, partnering with PowerBank as an EPC contractor, to cover a portfolio of three community solar projects totaling 21 MW in the state—underscoring this regional momentum.