A Sullivan County solar-panel power array construction project is scheduled to begin in early 2016.
The array will consist of approximately 42,000 panels, covering 30 to 35 acres of farmland located just northwest of Sullivan, according to Brian Tschanen, division director for Vaughn Industries, which is based in Carey, Ohio.
“We are completing negotiations on a final agreement,” Tschanen said in a phone conversation. “We have done some testing onsite already and material has been ordered. We plan to start working the first part of the new year.”
Tschanen described the Sullivan County solar-array project as a 7-megawatt DC site.
The solar farm’s location — just west of U.S. 41 and north of CR 300N — is on property owned by John Ray Scott, with the land leased to Sullivan Solar LLC.
The developer is Cypress Creek Renewables, which has used Vaughn Industries to build similar solar arrays in nearby Vigo — located on U.S. 150 between New Goshen and Shirkieville — and Clay — located near Northview High School — counties.
Those two projects went live just last week, Clay on Monday and Vigo on Wednesday. The solar arrays will feed into Duke Energy’s power grid.
Duke Energy received Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approval in August on 20-year agreements with two solar developers, covering four counties, to purchase up to 20 megawatts of solar power for its Indiana customers.
By adding solar generation to its Indiana’s power resources, the company will gain experience in contracting and interconnecting with utility-scale solar facilities.
“The construction (in Sullivan County) is on a two-month timeline,” Tschanen said.
“It will be completed, based on equipment deliveries and the weather, probably in March and April. They go up fairly quick.”
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