California solar farm built by Chattanooga-based Signal Energy ConstructorsTOP SOLAR CONTRACTORSCompany, headquarters and megawatts installed in 2013:• 1. First Solar, Tempe, Ariz., 1,130• 2. NRG Energy, Princeton, N.J., 672• 3. Rosendin Electric, San Jose, Calif., 383.4• 4. SolarCity, San Mateo, Calif., 280• 5. CSI Electrical Contractors, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.• 6. Strata Solar, Chapel Hill, N.C., 200• 7. E Light Wind and Solar, Englewood, Colo., 189• 8. AMEC, Atlanta, 187• 9. Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis, 185.8• 10. Signal Energy Constructors, Chattanooga, 132.7Source: Solar Power World
Chattanooga-based Signal Energy Constructors has made the list of the top 10 solar contractors in the nation for 2013.
The company, owned by Chattanooga construction company EMJ Corp. and Barnhart Crane & Rigging of Memphis, installed 132.7 megawatts of solar power last year, putting it 10th nationally, according to industry outlet Solar Power World.
Signal Energy Chief Executive Ben Fischer said the business, which has doubled its workforce over the past couple of years to more than 170 employees, had a record year installing utility-scale solar arrays in 2013 and expects to do better in 2014.
"This year, we'll continue to surpass that," he said. "The next couple of years, it will be more of the same."
Jay Jolley, EMJ's CEO, said Signal Energy's growth isn't totally unexpected.
"We expected it to grow quite rapidly due to the design building process they bring to the table because of their expertise in the renewable market," he said.
Fischer said Signal Energy for the first time will see solar installation top its wind power division this year.
"We came close to it last year," he said. Signal ramped up its solar installation in 2010, and it has built more than 420 megawatts of utility-scale solar arrays ranging from Tennessee to California to Canada.
The company also made the Solar Power World list the last two years, Fischer said. It was the nation's No. 2 installer in 2012.
The company is currently building a 24 megawatt facility about 50 miles south of Las Vegas. Signal is serving as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project.
Fischer wasn't specific about revenues, saying it's in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He said revenues are expected to grow by a double digit percentage figure this year.
Fischer said the company has developed in-house expertise in the most critical areas of the utility scale solar sector such as utility interconnection processes, high voltage design, mechanical installation and long-term operations and maintenance.
"Value engineering allows Signal Energy Constructors to provide our customers with a cost effective solar farm design that produces the most electricity for the least cost," he said.
Fischer said that by controlling the most critical pieces of the construction process, the company is better able to help developers realize short- and long-term economic paybacks.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.