Longroad Energy’s Sun Streams 4 Solar Reaches Construction Milestone of Peak Workforce

Longroad’s largest solar and battery storage project in the U.S. is slated to meet IRA requirements 

• 377 MWdc/300 MWac solar facility with 300 MWac of battery storage is the developer’s largest project in the U.S. 
• Approximately 250 solar construction workers, including more than 65 registered apprentices, recently mobilized on site and tracking to complete Sun Streams 4 by mid-2025.
• Sun Streams 4 will contribute more than $100 million in revenue for Arizona schools and communities through its long-term leases with the Arizona State Land Department and tax remittances.

McCarthy Building Companies Inc.’s (McCarthy) Renewable Energy team recently reached peak construction workforce on the Sun Streams 4 solar construction project, a 377 MWdc PV and 300 MWac/1200 MWh solar and 300MWac battery storage facility being developed by Longroad Energy, a U.S. based renewable energy developer, owner and operator. McCarthy was selected as the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contractor for the project, located approximately 40 miles west of Phoenix.  

Sun Streams 4 is Longroad’s largest solar and storage project to date, and it is their third project in its Sun Streams complex based in Maricopa County, Ariz. During peak construction, McCarthy will employ more than 250 people during the peak construction phase at Sun Streams 4, which runs through July 2024. McCarthy is paying prevailing wage and utilizing more than 65 registered operators and carpenter apprentices in accordance with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Commercial operation for Sun Streams 4 is expected by mid-2025.  

“The solar workforce is playing an important role in Arizona’s transition to sustainable renewable energy by building large-scale solar and battery storage projects like Sun Streams 4, which will help power homes across Arizona and meet the peak demand needs of our hot summer months,” said Dan Brown with McCarthy’s Renewable Energy team. “Being our fifth project with Longroad, McCarthy is proud to continue to be cultivating and developing Arizona’s skilled solar workforce through our training and apprenticeship programs.”

Over the project’s lifecycle, Sun Streams 4 is expected to contribute more than $100 million in revenue for Arizona schools and communities through its long-term leases with the Arizona State Land Department and tax remittances.

“We are pleased with the progress on Sun Streams 4, Longroad's largest solar project to date and one of our first projects to incorporate provisions from the groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of Longroad Energy.  “McCarthy shares Longroad’s commitment to excellence, and we commend them on their quality and safety record that has distinguished their work on the Sun Streams complex.  Longroad is proud of the solar workforce we are helping to build and support in Arizona through our partnership with McCarthy, and we are excited about the many positive benefits that Sun Streams 4 will deliver.”

In a continuation of their longstanding partnership, First Solar is supplying Longroad with nearly 800,000 of its Series 6 Plus solar modules for Sun Streams 4. Nextracker is supplying trackers for the project and Sungrow is supplying the solar inverters. Comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the project will be provided by NovaSource Power Services and Longroad’s affiliate Longroad Energy Services.
Sun Stream 4’s 300 MWac/1200 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) will be provided by U.S.-based energy storage platform provider Powin. The BESS will include SMA inverters and cells from AESC, which will be integrated into Powin’s Modular and Scalable CentipedeTM Energy Storage Platform. Longroad Energy Services, in conjunction with Powin and NovaSource Power Services, will provide long-term operations and maintenance services.

The Sun Streams projects mark a growing presence in Arizona for Longroad. The company owns other operating solar projects in the state as well as an existing development portfolio. Sun Streams 4 is part of the Sun Streams portfolio that Longroad acquired from First Solar in early 2021. McCarthy has been the EPC partner on all three of Longroad’s Sun Streams projects, including:

• Sun Streams 2 – 200 MWdc solar project which has been operational since mid-2021
• Sun Streams 3 – 285 MWdc PV and 215 MWac / 860 MWh storage project currently under construction with commercial operations expected in 2024

McCarthy’s Renewable Energy group is currently constructing or has completed 85 utility-scale clean energy projects in communities across the country since 2010, delivering a combined capacity of more than 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy production and over 1033 MW of battery storage. Nationally, McCarthy provides EPC services on utility-scale solar projects for private solar developers and utilities, helping them deliver cost-effective clean energy to the communities they serve.  

Anyone interested in pursuing a new career in solar construction can apply for McCarthy’s Registered Apprenticeship program by visiting www.McCarthy.com/careers/search, and select “solar and renewable energy” under function to find job postings for apprentice positions and other opportunities. McCarthy trains workers seeking all levels of utility-scale solar construction experience, including entry level workers.

About Longroad Energy Holdings

Founded in 2016, Longroad Energy Holdings LLC is focused on renewable energy project development, operating assets, and services. Longroad has developed or acquired 4.9 GW of renewable energy projects across the United States and has raised over $13.4 billion of equity, debt, and tax equity to support completion of its portfolio. Today, Longroad owns over 3.1 GW of wind, solar, and storage projects and operates and manages a total of 5.0 GW on behalf of Longroad and third parties. Longroad is owned by the NZ Superannuation Fund, Infratil Limited, MEAG MUNICH ERGO Asset Management, and Longroad Energy Partners, LLC.

About McCarthy Building Companies 

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with nearly 160 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. With an unrelenting focus on safety and a comprehensive quality program that spans all phases of every project, McCarthy utilizes industry-leading design phase and construction techniques combined with value-add technology to maximize outcomes. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 19th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2023). With approximately 6,000 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis; Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Denver; Austin, Channelview, Dallas, and Houston, Texas; and San Diego, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100% employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.