Cypress Creek Renewables Opens National Solar Control Center in North Carolina

Cypress Creek Renewables, a national leader in solar development, construction and operation, today announced the opening of its solar control center in its flagship Research Triangle Park, North Carolina office. Out of the Cypress Creek Control Center (C4), the company operates 232 utility, distribution and rooftop-scale solar facilities totaling nearly 2 gigawatts in 14 states across the country.

The opening of its new control center marks a significant milestone for Cypress Creek as the company expands its operations and maintenance services for third-party customers and signals its unique ability to operate secure solar sites and maximize production.

“We are thrilled to announce our Cypress Creek Control Center in our flagship Research Triangle Park office,” said Matthew McGovern, Chief Executive Officer, Cypress Creek Renewables. “Operations and maintenance is an important and growing business for the solar industry and for Cypress Creek. We now have the team, infrastructure and technology to deliver exceptional customer service and system performance.”

The C4 is just one of a handful of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) – Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) compliant control centers in the country operated by a solar-only company. The C4 was designed to meet NERC’s most stringent cyber security and reliability requirements. To meet the new compliance level, Cypress Creek hired 22 people over the past three months.

Services offered by Cypress Creek’s 60-Person Operations and Maintenance team include:
24/7/365 Operations

The Cypress Creek Control Center is the heart of our operation, ensuring that our solar fleet is diligently monitored at all times. From the C4, operators quickly identify and initiate corrective actions in coordination with our field technicians and operation engineers. Cypress Creek has combined a real-time operations platform provided by PowerFactors with an enterprise SCADA system designed and engineered by Nor-Cal Controls and GridSME.

Predictive Maintenance

Dedicated engineers and technicians work to optimize daily performance at sites, utilizing aerial thermography and state-of-the-art technology to identify and correct site level anomalies. Cypress Creek’s O&M team has a nation-wide network of technicians and engineers capable of maintaining and repairing solar components.

Vegetation Management

Our team of vegetation technicians and managers work tirelessly to mitigate safety risks while optimizing system performance. Whether the site requires standard grass mowing, pollinator friendly habitats or sheep grazing, Cypress Creek caters to the unique demands of each solar site and region.

“As solar has become a larger part of our electricity mix, we recognized the demand to expand our business,” said Joe Brotherton, Executive Vice President of Operations & Maintenance. “From deploying the latest technology for asset optimization to strengthening our solar sites against cybersecurity threats, we are proud of the services that we are now able to offer our customers.”

Here’s what people are saying about Cypress Creek Renewables’ new control center:

“North Carolina has been one of the fastest growing states in the nation for solar capacity, creating thousands of new jobs for hard-working North Carolinians. The opening of Cypress Creek Renewables’ new solar control center helps demonstrate why North Carolina is on the leading edge of solar energy production and electrical grid security. Last year, I introduced legislation that was codified into law which requires the Department of Defense to issue a report on significant security risks to the national electric grid, and I look forward to seeing companies like Cypress Creek Renewables participate in the effort to secure our electrical grid from cybersecurity threats.”

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis

“The Fourth District is at the cutting edge of research, development and implementation of clean energy technologies, and Cypress Creek’s state-of-the-art control center in Research Triangle Park will further enhance this position. I congratulate Cypress Creek Renewables on the announcement of its new facility, and I look forward to continuing to work together to advance our clean energy future.”

Congressman David Price

“I’m excited to see Cypress Creek Renewables making a long-term commitment to this community. We’re proud to be one of the nation’s leading hubs for research and technology companies, and now, more recently, a hub for our state and our country’s growing solar industry.”

North Carolina State Senator Floyd McKissick

“Last year, North Carolina added more utility-scale solar energy than any other state in the country. So, it makes sense that Cypress Creek would choose North Carolina to locate its landmark operations and maintenance headquarters.”

North Carolina State Representative John Szoka, Senior Chairman, Energy and Public Utilities

“The announcement today shows that solar energy is continuing to create jobs in science and technology for our county. We’re proud to have one of the largest national solar developers in Durham County, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with Cypress Creek Renewables on workforce development efforts.”

Brenda Howerton, Durham County Commissioner and President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners

“It’s great to see the Cypress Creek team hiring in operations and maintenance and ensuring that sites across the country will continue to operate safely and to their fullest potential.”

Abigail Ross Hopper, President & CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association

“We’re proud to see one of our member companies, Cypress Creek Renewables, leading the way in solar operations and maintenance. This control center is a testament to how policies enabling market access for independent power producers have propelled our state to lead in solar energy and solar jobs.”

Chris Carmody, Executive Director, North Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance