Affordable Solar, a solar power solution provider in New Mexico, proudly announces the company has been selected to build a 30 MW PV project for the Facebook Data Center in Los Lunas, NM. PNM has awarded Affordable Solar the $37 million contract for engineering, procurement, and construction of the 30MW solar generation project. Construction on the first of three 10MW sites will begin in mid-2017. The new solar energy facilities will utilize solar tracking technology developed by Array Technologies.

Kevin Bassalleck, President of Affordable Solar, states, "We're honored to have been selected by PNM to design and construct the solar facilities that will power Facebook's new data center in Los Lunas. It's a continuation of the working relationship we've established with PNM over many years, and we're grateful to have been provided this new opportunity as they deploy more utility-scale solar. They are a key partner of ours and are a pleasure to collaborate with."

PNM has already invested nearly $270 million in solar farms across the state in recent years and the new sites will add to its renewable energy footprint. "This project clearly demonstrates some of the best possible outcomes of an economic development project: supporting a local renewable energy business, creating local construction jobs and helping to grow our economy here in New Mexico," said Pat Vincent-Collawn, chairman, president and CEO of PNM.

The Facebook Data Center Solar Energy Generation project will enable access to 100 percent renewable energy though use of the ground-mounted single-axis tracker photovoltaic installation. Additional data points for the project include:

• Solar plant will be comprised of three 10MWac sites
• Utilizing approximately 115,000 photovoltaic panels
• Creating 40 new full-time positions at Affordable Solar
• Each site is anticipated to involve over 120 construction jobs

The effort to support economic development through job creation led Bassalleck to state, "These projects will allow our company to open our doors to a new group of solar industry employees. As a result of this partnership, we're excited to announce that in the coming months, Affordable Solar will be hiring over 40 new full-time employees, and each of the three solar projects will employ over 120 workers during the course of construction."

(Photo Source: Affordable Solar's blog)