Mortenson, SunShare, and Real Capital Solutions Kick Off Community Solar Garden Construction in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mortenson Construction has broken ground on the first of eight solar gardens administered by SunShare planned to come online in Minnesota by early next year. The two companies and Real Capital Solutions, the project owner, are partnering to build 11 Megawatts (MW) of solar gardens in Minnesota in 2016. More SunShare-administered solar gardens will be constructed by Mortenson in 2017, and the collective portfolio will serve over 6,000 customers across Minnesota.

Mortenson is serving as the full engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor, while SunShare subscribed Xcel Energy customers to participate in the solar gardens and is managing the customer relationship. WakeSun LLC, an affiliate of Real Capital Solutions, is developing and financing the construction of the solar garden.

Mortenson, a family-owned construction and development services company based in Minneapolis, is the leading utility-scale solar and wind energy contractor in the United States.  SunShare, based in Denver, is one of the first and largest community solar companies in the nation.

"Consumer demand for solar energy is increasing at a rapid rate.  These projects provide residential and commercial entities with the ability to utilize solar power who otherwise may not have been able to," said Trent Mostaert, Vice President and General Manager of Mortenson Solar & Emerging Renewables. "We are pleased to serve as the EPC contractor on these important projects as well as those planned for next year."   

In 2013, the Minnesota State legislature passed the Solar Energy Jobs Act, allowing Minnesota citizens to access locally-produced solar energy and expanding the use of solar in the state. For the first time, Xcel Energy customers have a choice in their energy source, whether they live in homes not suitable for rooftop solar; would prefer to avoid the upfront capital expense of rooftop solar; or live in a condo building with a shared roof. Small businesses can also benefit from community solar even if they do not own the building in which they operate.

"Minnesota is slated to have the largest community solar program in the country," said David Amster-Olszewski, Founder and CEO of SunShare. "SunShare is thrilled to be working with a Minnesota company to make that vision a reality."

SunShare, Mortenson, and Real Capital Solutions will be hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, September 21^st at the WakeSun Solar Garden sites in Cold Spring, Minn. to celebrate the beginning of construction.

About Real Capital Solutions
Founded in 1984, by Marcel Arsenault, Real Capital Solutions is a highly entrepreneurial solutions-oriented real estate company that focuses on Acquisitions, Development and Management for highly complex and structured real estate opportunities.  RCS has 30 years of operational and real estate expertise with returns that are in the top 5% of private equity real estate firms in the US with $1.5 Billion in assets under management.  RCS began investing in solar in 2012 and developed a wind farm in 1995.  For more information about Real Capital Solutions, visit www.realcapitalsolutions.com. 

About Mortenson
Founded in 1954, Mortenson is a U.S.-based, family-owned construction and development services company. As one of the nation's top builders, Mortenson provides a complete range of construction services, including planning, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management and design-build. The company also is a leader in real estate development, developing all asset types.

Mortenson is currently rated as the number one EPC contractor in North America for solar by Solar Power World and ranked as the number one wind contractor in the United States, according to Engineering New Record. Mortenson has additional capabilities within the high voltage transmission industry and provides operations and maintenance support services for completed renewable energy facilities.

Mortenson has operations across North America with offices in Chicago, Denver, Fargo, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and in Canada. For more information, visit mortenson.com.

About SunShare
SunShare is transforming the energy industry with locally-generated community solar power.  Anyone can choose to subscribe to SunShare's solar farms, while their utility continues delivering their energy. SunShare customers simply receive credits on their utility bills which protect them from rising electricity rates. Our team is driving innovation and making solar an easy choice. As one of the nation's first community solar companies, we have enabled hundreds of citizens, businesses and organizations to play a part in creating a cleaner, better future.  Learn more at www.mysunshare.com.

SOURCE SunShare

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