Microsoft Suppliers Pool Resources to Save NC Solar Farm

A solar farm in rural North Carolina almost never happened because it was too small to attract big investors. Then seven Microsoft suppliers decided to chip in together, and now the 5-megawatt project is powering homes in Anson County.

The Baron Solar farm sits 45 miles southeast of Charlotte in one of the state's low-income counties. Developer Headwater Energy needed guaranteed buyers before lenders would fund construction, but the project was too modest for major corporations typically interested in larger deals.

Enter a creative solution. Slalom Consulting, Centific Technologies, ImagiCorps, BDA, Eleven 11 Solutions, TASA Analytics, and Visionet Systems signed long-term contracts for renewable energy certificates together. Their collective commitment gave lenders enough confidence to approve the project.

Microsoft has been requiring certain large suppliers to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. That pressure is turning into real action. These seven companies needed renewable energy credits to meet their targets, and Baron needed buyers.

Clean energy marketplace Ever.green connected the dots. Instead of selling certificates from existing solar farms, they link buyers to new projects that actually need the revenue to break ground. Chief Revenue Officer Liz Pearce says the model lets smaller companies make meaningful climate progress without needing Fortune 500 budgets.

The solar farm now feeds electricity into the local grid serving Pee Dee Electric. The project used American-made panels and local workers for construction, creating jobs during the build.

The Ripple Effect

Anson County will collect property taxes from the solar farm that fund schools and emergency services. The community gets cleaner energy without paying upfront costs.

The project prevents about 7,810 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, equal to removing 1,820 cars from roads. For participating companies like Slalom, working toward their 2030 renewable energy goals, projects like Baron offer proof that collaboration can unlock opportunities individual action cannot.

Small solar farms often struggle to compete for financing against massive utility-scale projects. This deal proves a different path exists when companies pool their purchasing power and commit together.