How CleanChoice Energy and PVcase are transforming solar development with capacity data

Navigating the challenges of solar farm siting and interconnection

Siting a solar farm is a complex endeavor. CleanChoice Energy, a mission-driven clean energy developer committed to expanding access to renewable energy, faced significant hurdles in its development process. Evaluating hundreds of parcels for viability required analyzing diverse factors such as:

• slopes

• wetlands

• floodplains

• conservation easements

• and many other hazards.

These challenges were compounded by the growing interconnection bottlenecks in markets like PJM, where increased queue congestion significantly raised the costs of interconnection applications.

Without the right tools, CleanChoice Energy spent tens of thousands of dollars on injection studies for each new lease, with no guarantee of a successful project and wasted time. The need for a solution to streamline grid and site evaluation became critical.

By incorporating PVcase Prospect’s exclusive Capacity feature into its workflows, CleanChoice Energy ensured that the company not only optimized internal processes but also maintained a competitive edge by staying ahead with cutting-edge tools.

Seamless integration into existing workflows

According to Dan Bramley, the GIS and Siting Manager, the implementation process was surprisingly straightforward. Unlike other platforms that require extensive training, the PVcase Prospect platform and Capacity data were intuitive from day one. This ease of adoption allowed CleanChoice Energy’s team to immediately see the value and incorporate the tools into their workflows without any delay. Because of its thoughtful design, the platform eliminated the usual friction associated with onboarding new technology.

Teams quickly aligned around the solution, and CleanChoice Energy’s siting and development processes became more efficient and collaborative. In addition to the straightforward implementation, CleanChoice Energy has also praised PVcase’s customer success team for their responsiveness and ability to implement requested improvements.

Delivering tangible results: speed, confidence, and efficiency

Integrating PVcase Prospect and its exclusive Capacity feature revolutionized CleanChoice Energy's day-to-day operations and drove impressive results. This powerful combination brought in significant results into several aspects of the CleanChoice Energy workflows:

#1 Confidence in interconnection

Capacity data gave CleanChoice Energy the assurance needed to pursue target projects in areas with good interconnection potential, mitigating risk in their pipeline.

#2 Faster project evaluation

The ability to rapidly assess project viability and conduct due diligence for sites and acquisition portfolios reduced the time spent on preliminary evaluations, freeing resources for high-value projects.

#3 Higher landowner engagement

PVcase Prospect helped increase the number of site leases by providing the tools to perform targeted and data-driven outreach campaigns.

In addition to these outcomes, the aesthetically pleasing data visualizations and customizable models provided presentation-ready insights that significantly improved stakeholder communication.

Smarter solar development

CleanChoice Energy turned a challenging, resource-intensive process into a streamlined, scalable operation by implementing PVcase Prospect and Capacity into the development team’s processes.

These tools not only empowered them to make smarter, faster decisions but also aligned with their mission to maximize impact in the fight against climate change. CleanChoice Energy’s success story showcases the transformative potential of technology in renewable energy development, proving that with the right tools and insights, even the most daunting challenges can become opportunities.

CleanChoice Energy stands as one of the United States' few 100% clean energy retailers that both owns and operates their own assets. The company is dedicated to developing solar farms, thereby broadening access to clean energy and providing innovative pathways to farm-to-table clean energy. This commitment empowers its customers to substantially impact the fight against climate change. At its core, CleanChoice Energy envisions a world without catastrophic climate change, characterized by pure, clean air and abundant renewable energy.