Energy Solutions - IND Solar Farm Q&A

Vincent Liu, the head of Telamon’s solar division, answers some key questions regarding Telamon’s participation in the IND Solar Farm project at the Indianapolis International Airport.

·        What makes the IND Solar Farm the largest airport-based solar farm in the country?

The IND Solar Farm is a 12.5 megawatt DC solar photovoltaic system that encompasses 75 acres of land. At peak capacity, it has the capability to produce 16.5 megawatt hours of electric energy per year, which is enough to power more than 1,800 average American homes for one year. The solar farm consists of 44,128 panels, each capable of producing 280 watts at peak power production.

·         What will be done with the power produced?

The energy produced will be sold to Indianapolis Power & Light via a 15 year power purchase program.

·         Why was Telamon interested in the project initially?

Telamon was interested in the project because solar was a new market for us. We knew that winning the RFP would present us as a forward thinking leader in the solar industry since the IND Solar Farm is the largest airport-based solar farm in the country. The Indianapolis Airport Authority came up with the idea of putting a solar farm on their property. Telamon simply responded to the RFP.

·         What was it like to get funding for such a large project?

The project cost was $35-$40 million. Any utility-scale solar project developer knows that financing is always key to the success of project execution. Telamon has a strong balance sheet and good industry/banking relationships. Telamon’s core business has had an established, adequate financing mechanism for years and this solar project was of no concern.

·         What were some of the challenges Telamon faced?

Some of the challenges included: 

1. Solar is not big in Indiana, which is mainly a coal country. The incentive program is not widely adopted.
2. The original feed-in-tariff and tax burden makes the project not-bankable. It took a lot of effort to make legislative adjustment.
3. Since it is the first major utility solar project in the state, a large amount of coordination among all stake holders was required.

·         What was the most fun aspect of working on the solar farm?

For Telamon, working on this project was very fun. We were able to garner partnerships that we can continue to use for future airport solar installations. We also built a brand around the IND Solar Farm with a distinct logo and both web and social media presence. This has never been done before for any solar farm in the world. 

·         How long did the project take to construct?

The project began construction mid-March & finished mid-October, so a total of 7 months.

·         Looking back, is there anything you would change about the way you handled the project? What was the most important lesson learned? 

Persistence and having faith. There are always many uncertainties which can kill a project of this size. The biggest lessons are:

1. To build a strong partnership and not nickel and dime on every piece of the project.
2. Make sure the financing partner is strong and dependable.

For more information and to view real time monitoring of the solar farm, please visit the IND Solar Farm website at www.indsolarfarm.com.