ENR Southwest recently named the Kayenta II Solar project the Best Project in the energy and industrial category for 2020. Swinerton Renewable Energy submitted the winning project, and will receive the award on November 10. ENR plans to hold an in-person ceremony at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, with the possibility of moving to a virtual event if conditions warrant. Blymyer Engineers delivered engineering services on the project.
Kayenta II Solar is a 28 MW solar project located in Kayenta, Arizona, operated by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. The project includes 100,000+ solar modules made by Jinko supported by NEXTracker single-axis trackers. Eleven inverters by Sungrow convert the DC output generated at the site to AC current. Combined with its sister project, Kayenta I, Kayenta II will generate 55 MW, which is enough energy to power 36,000 homes. The Kayenta Solar facilities are the first tribally owned utility-scale solar projects in the United States.
“Congratulations to the Swinerton Renewable Energy team for winning this award from ENR,” says Blymyer Director of Engineering Greg Mazur. “It’s much-deserved recognition. We’ve worked with Swinerton on a number of projects. They always commit to excellence, and they expect the same from the whole project team.”
Mazur notes that: “Kayenta II was designed for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Navajo Tribal Utility Authority uses the power to serve the Navajo people, with excess power sold to other utilities. We are proud to be associated with Swinerton and this impressive project.”