Photo: Ever.green A group of Microsoft suppliers just helped push a small solar farm over the finish line in North Carolina – and it shows how corporate buyers can band together and boost projects that might otherwise stall. A small solar farm with a big hurdle Clean energy marketplace Ever.green says a 5-megawatt (MW) solar project called Baron is now online in Anson County, 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. Headwater Energy will develop, own, and operate the project. Here’s what’s notable about Baron: Instead of one big corporate buyer stepping in, a group of Microsoft suppliers signed long-term contracts for renewable energy certificates (RECs) tied to the solar farm. That group includes Slalom Consulting, Centific Technologies, ImagiCorps, BDA, Eleven 11 Solutions, TASA Analytics, and Visionet Systems. Those commitments helped the project reach financial close – a key hurdle that often trips up smaller solar developments. Advertisement - scroll for more content Why projects like this stall Microsoft has been pushing its supply chain to clean up its energy use. Under its Supplier Code of Conduct, certain large-scale suppliers are expected to move to 100% carbon-free electricity (CFE) for the goods and services they provide to Microsoft by 2030. That pressure is starting to show up in deals like this one. Small and mid-sized solar projects often get stuck before construction because lenders want to see guaranteed revenue. Even if a project makes sense on paper, it can stall if buyers aren’t locked in. In Baron’s case, the participating suppliers collectively committed to enough RECs to give lenders the confidence to move forward. A different kind of REC deal Ever.green is trying to make that model easier to replicate. Instead of buying RECs from existing projects on the spot market, its “high-impact” RECs are tied to new builds, so the purchase actually helps bring new clean energy online.“Ever.green was designed specifically to make this kind of collective action possible. We’re one of the few organizations that empowers companies of all sizes to advance their carbon-free electricity goals by acquiring High-Impact RECs that have real impact at the community level,” said Liz Pearce, chief revenue officer at Ever.green. What Baron does locally The Baron solar farm is now generating electricity for the local grid that serves Pee Dee Electric, part of the regional cooperative system. While one project won’t set electricity rates, adding solar can help reduce exposure to volatile fuel prices over time. The project is also expected to make a positive local impact. It’s located in a rural, low-income county and will generate property tax revenue that supports schools, emergency services, and other public services. Built with domestically manufactured panels and local labor, Baron Solar is expected to avoid about 7,810 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year — roughly the same as taking around 1,820 cars off the road annually. A growing solar trend For the companies involved, it’s also about meeting their own climate targets. Slalom, for example, says it’s aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2030, and projects like this are part of that effort. Deals like this are still relatively small in scale, but they point to a growing trend: companies banding together to finance clean energy projects that might not come to fruition on their own. Read more: Qcells to supply Microsoft with a whopping 12 GW of solar panels If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use! Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.