SEGUIN, Texas – A 12-acre solar project in Seguin is operational, and a San Antonio-based operator is at the project’s helm.
Big Sun Solar and Gonzales-based Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) partnered with Vitesco Technologies on the project, creating one of the first three-party power purchase agreements (PPA) in Texas.
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The PPA gave Big Sun Solar the job of building, owning and operating the site, while Vitesco purchases the electricity from GVEC to offset energy consumption.
The 4,800-panel site, adjacent to Vitesco’s manufacturing facility, is expected to generate about 13% of Vitesco’s annual energy consumption at the facility. This equates to enough energy to power 330 homes at an average square foot of 1,800 per year and reduces vehicle emissions equivalent to removing 600 cars from the road for a year, a company news release said.
Vitesco, an international supplier of drive systems and electrification solutions, hopes the project can affirm the company’s mission of sustainable mobility.
“Powering clean mobility is our mission, and that certainly includes taking responsible actions supporting our manufacturing processes to reduce the environmental effects of the automotive industry,” Dr. Hans-Juergen Braun, global head of Operations for Vitesco Technologies said. “This solar energy project owes its success to the dedication and vision of our team in Seguin as well as our partners with Big Sun and the GVEC.
Big Sun Solar’s latest contribution caps off another project under its belt.
In November, the developer was selected by San Antonio to manage Texas’ largest onsite municipal solar project.
“This solar farm represents the combination of two previously different objectives: helping a global company meet its sustainability goals and also delivering a favorable financial return,” Big Sun Solar CEO Robert Miggins said. “We are delighted to join forces with Vitesco Technologies and GVEC to deliver this innovative solution.”
The site, which broke ground in July 2023, sits next to Vitesco’s facility north of Seguin.
Vitesco said talks with Big Sun Solar about exploring further sustainable energy projects at the facility are ongoing.