Maryland Commercial-Community Hybrid Solar Project Begins Generating Power

Chaberton Energy and Pivot Energy are partnering on a Maryland solar project aimed at powering both commercial and community customers.

The 19-acre site, named Project Catherine, sits on St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church’s property in Cooksville, Md., and is expected to generate 4.3 MW. A portion of the project supplies energy directly to the church, with the rest serving Loyola University Maryland and the surrounding community via subscription model.

“Pivot Energy shares our passion for the energy transition and works tirelessly to help communities access local, affordable, clean energy,” says Mike Doniger, chief operating officer at Chaberton Energy.

“This project showcases our development team’s creativity as it combines three different solar business models in one project: a community solar project, a power purchase agreement with a nonprofit and the offsetting of on-site electricity usage. We are grateful to St. Mary Church, Howard County officials, Loyola and so many others who collaborated to make this a reality.”

The site was originally developed by Chaberton and recently acquired by Pivot.

Community solar subscribers will have access to 3.4 MW of capacity via the Maryland Community Solar program. Loyola will have access to 750 kW of direct current via the Maryland Aggregate Net Energy Metering program, and the balance will be used to offset the church’s on-site load.

Pivot donated to the Power52 Foundation, a workforce development organization that helps at-risk individuals from the Baltimore area. Chaberton donated money to Bright Minds Foundation, a community group that supports Howard County public education, and the Community Ecology Institute, a Maryland nonprofit.