Chaberton energy
Chaberton Energy, a Maryland-based solar energy developer, and Pivot Energy, a national renewable energy owner and operator, announced they will launch an innovative solar energy project in Maryland.
The 19-acre site, called Project Catherine, is located on the grounds of St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church in Cooksville, Howard County, Maryland, and is essentially three projects in one. Part of the project provides energy directly to the church, while the remainder of the project serves Loyola University Maryland and the surrounding community through a subscription model.
The project included significant input from the community, St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church and the project subscribers. For example, by limiting the footprint of the solar panels to unused parts of the existing site, project designers were able to preserve excellent sports fields for the church. The solar lease payments will also benefit the St. Mary community.
“Pivot Energy shares our passion for the energy transition and works tirelessly to help communities access local, affordable, clean energy,” said Mike Doniger, Chief Operating Officer at Chaberton Energy. “This project shows the creativity of our development team as it combines three different solar business models into one project: a community solar project, a power purchase agreement with a non-profit organization and the offsetting of on-site electricity consumption. We are grateful to St. Mary Church, Howard County officials, Loyola and so many others who helped make this a reality.”
The sites were originally developed by Chaberton and recently acquired by Pivot, adding to the significant portfolio of active project sites in the mid-Atlantic.
Project Catherine will deliver a total of 4.3 MWDC, enough to power the equivalent of 750 households. Community solar subscribers will have access to 3.4 MWDC of capacity through the Maryland Community Solar program. Loyola will have access to 750 kWDC under a renewable energy purchase agreement through the Maryland Aggregate Net Energy Metering program, and the balance will be used to offset the church’s local taxes.
“Project Catherine helps leading community institutions access clean, affordable, local energy,” said Brit Gibson, Chief Operating Officer at Pivot Energy. “Our partnership with Chaberton and the willingness of St. Mary Church and Loyola University of Maryland to think outside the box made it possible to build this unique solar energy project.”
True to the values and business strategies of both Pivot Energy and Chaberton Energy, Catherine Community Solar will benefit local communities in ways beyond providing access to clean energy savings.
Pivot donated to the Power52 Foundation, a workforce development organization that serves at-risk populations in the Baltimore area by providing training, mentoring and job placement assistance for clean energy careers. Chaberton donated money to the Bright Minds Foundation, a community group that supports public education in Howard County, and to the Community Ecology Institute, a nonprofit organization in Columbia, Maryland, that cultivates communities where people and nature thrive together.
Project Catherine and additional solar projects in the Pivot-Chaberton portfolio will bring clean energy and savings to thousands of households and help make a dent in Maryland’s goal of achieving 50% renewable energy production by 2030.
News item from Chaberton Energy