Hanwha Q CELLS Modules Help Power Facebook Data Center
- Walton EMC and Silicon Ranch Commissioned Project Serving Facebook’s Newton Data Center Using 102.5 Megawatt of Hanwha Q CELLS Modules
Hanwha Q CELLS (or “The Company”), a world-leading total energy solutions provider, joined in celebrating the commissioning of the Bancroft Station Solar Farm on December 12th, Facebook’s first solar project in the state of Georgia. Hanwha Q CELLS joined Facebook, Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC), Silicon Ranch, and state and local representatives to “flip the switch” on the 102.5 megawatt (MWAC) solar facility in a special ceremony at the project site.
Facebook chose Walton EMC as the power supplier for its data center in Newton County when it announced the facility in March 2018. As part of its agreement to supply 100 percent renewable energy for the center, Walton EMC announced a contract in December 2018 with Silicon Ranch, the U.S. solar platform for Shell and one of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers.
The resulting solar project has yielded tangible economic benefits across the state. To support Facebook’s data center and corresponding investments in Newton County, Silicon Ranch employed more than 675 people in Early County over the past ten months to assemble and install single-axis trackers that utilize NextTracker’s TrueCapture smart control system, enabling more than 350,000 Q.PEAK DUO L-G5.2 solar modules to track the sun from east to west across more than 1,200 acres. The locally-sourced modules were among the first produced by Hanwha Q CELLS at its manufacturing facility in Whitfield County, which is the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
“This project is representative of the cooperative approach to economic development across our state that has made Georgia a leader in innovative fields like solar energy,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “The world-class solar modules manufactured by Hanwha Q CELLS in northeast Georgia and installed at Silicon Ranch’s solar field in Early County are paving the way for leading companies with a focus on sustainability – like Facebook – to find a home in Georgia. That cooperation, facilitated by our outstanding local economic development partners like Walton EMC, is a large part of what has earned Georgia the title of No. 1 State for Business for seven consecutive years, and I am excited for the future of the solar energy industry in our state.”
Hanwha Q CELLS CEO Hee Cheul (Charles) Kim remarked: “Celebration of this new facility coincides with the celebration of Hanwha Q CELLS’ 20th anniversary, a timely reminder of how Hanwha Q CELLS strives to provide U.S. customers with high-performance modules, while leaving a positive impact on the economy of Georgia. Hanwha Q CELLS commends Facebook for its dedication to renewable energy sources as well as Silicon Ranch and Walton EMC for their commitment to delivering a world-class facility.”
Hanwha Qcells
Hanwha Qcells (Hanwha Solutions Qcells division) is one of the world’s leading clean energy companies, recognized for its established reputation as a manufacturer of high-performance, high-quality solar cells, and modules, a portfolio of intelligent storage systems, and a growing international pipeline of large-scale renewable energy projects. Hanwha Qcells also provides renewable electricity retail services and packages to end customers the world over. The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ) with its diverse international manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Malaysia, China, and South Korea. Hanwha Qcells strives to offer Completely Clean Energy through the full spectrum of photovoltaic products, storage solutions, renewable electricity contracting, and large-scale solar power plants. Through its growing global business network spanning Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, Hanwha Qcells provides excellent services and long-term partnerships to its customers in the utility, commercial, governmental, and residential markets.
For more information, visit: www.qcells.com/us/
About Walton EMC
Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company that serves accounts over its 10-county service area between Atlanta and Athens, Ga. Its primary focus is providing exceptional service to its 130,000 residential, commercial and industrial customer-owner accounts while also caring for the area’s communities.
For more information, visit: facebook.com/waltonemc and waltonemc.com
About Silicon Ranch Corporation
Silicon Ranch is the U.S. solar platform for Shell and one of the largest independent solar power producers in the country. Silicon Ranch’s work with a diverse set of customers across the country, including Fortune 500 companies and electric cooperatives, demonstrates its ability to customize solutions that ensure successful outcomes. The company’s operating portfolio includes more than 125 facilities across 14 states from New York to California, including the first large-scale solar projects in Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Silicon Ranch pioneered utility-scale solar in Georgia and is today a recognized market leader, with more than 1 Gigawatt across the state.
To learn more, visit: siliconranch.com and go to facebook.com/siliconranch
Safe-Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and Hanwha Q CELLS’ operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Hanwha Q CELLS does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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