Cuyahoga County of Ohio has released a request for information (RFI) for an upcoming 63-MW solar project in the area. Cuyahoga Green Energy, on behalf of the county, is soliciting information from firms interested in becoming an equipment provider on the project that is developed through the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program.
Cuyahoga Green Energy, the electric distribution utility, has been awarded a U.S. EPA grant totaling $130 million, which will be used to construct 63 MW of solar, alongside 10 MW of battery storage, on six brownfields and/or former landfill sites across the Cleveland metropolitan area by October of 2029. This RFI aims to identify and establish lines of contact with manufacturers interested in providing the requisite materials and services for the successful completion of this project by the deadline set by EPA.
Specifically, the county aims to competitively procure solar panels, racking systems, inverters, and other relevant equipment to develop these projects with the following qualifications:
- Panels must be both Build America, Buy America (BABA) certified AND Buy American Act compliant.
- Panels must be compatible with landfill and brownfield solar development – the county is currently searching for ground-mount panels with ballasted racking systems, but is open to other viable alternatives if present.
- Panels must have a satisfactory conversion efficiency to accommodate utility-scale solar within the confines of the available grant funding.
- Inverters must be satisfactorily efficient and reliable to minimize losses over the lifespan of the system.
- Mounting hardware and panels must be able to withstand high winds and increasing severe weather events typical of the local geography.
Responses must be submitted via e-mail to the issuing department contact (Thomas Pavich, tpavich@cuyahogacounty.gov) with the RFI name and number in the subject line. Responses are due no later than 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 6, 2025. More details here.
