
Dimension Renewable Energy is investing $150 million in Virginia shared solar
Richmond, VA – As of today, the first five shared solar projects in Virginia history are operating and providing low-cost clean energy to thousands of low-income customers across the state.
The five projects are part of Dimension Renewable Energy’s $150 million in capital expenditures in Virginia, where nearly 10,000 low-income households will soon benefit from over $50 million in energy bill savings. Today’s news marks the first time that renters and other Virginians who cannot put solar on their roofs can access affordable solar energy in the state.
“Our clean energy future is now; Dimension is thrilled to be making clean, affordable, solar energy available to the Virginians who need it most,” said Bryan Bentrott, VP of Origination, Dimension Renewable Energy. “Thanks to recent action from Governor Youngkin and shared solar leaders in the Senate and House of Delegates, today’s news is only the beginning – we look forward to working together to expand shared solar access to more and more Virginians.”
As of today, the following shared solar projects are up and running in Virginia:
• Prince Edward CSG, 5.1 MW of capacity in Prince Edward County
• Waynesboro Bridge Solar, 6.7 MW of capacity in Augusta County
• Augusta CSG, 3.8 MW of capacity in Augusta County
• Suffolk CSG, 5.2 MW of capacity in Suffolk County
• White Stone Ocran Solar, 6.6 MW of capacity in Lancaster County
By the end of June, an additional 6.6 MW project in Rockbridge County and a 4.1 MW project in Halifax County will also be operational. These seven projects make up Dimension Renewable Energy’s first phase of their 65 MW total shared solar portfolio in Virginia. The first seven projects will provide clean energy to about 6,000 households and Dimension’s total portfolio will power close to 10,000 households and create hundreds of good jobs across the state.
“My colleagues and I have been diligently committed to developing a robust shared solar program in Virginia since 2020,” said Majority Leader Scott Surovell. “We’re thrilled that the legislation has been signed by the Governor just as the first projects are starting to come on line. I’m optimistic that the latest legislation will make shared solar a reality for the entire commonwealth. Thank you to all of the stakeholders who worked tirelessly to ensure this legislation is sustainable and in the best interest of Virginians.”
“Virginia is facing a question of how to prioritize renewable energy, lower costs for ratepayers, and balance the use of our valuable land,” said Delegate Rip Sullivan. “Thankfully, shared solar offers a solution to all three. Programs like shared solar have a direct positive impact on ratepayers and offer modern solutions to energy distribution. I’m proud to have worked to make shared solar more viable in our Commonwealth, and I’m committed to bringing cost savings to thousands more Virginians.”
100% of Dimension’s Virginia project customers qualify as low-income and many of the first subscribers live in affordable housing. Community Housing Partners (CHP), a Virginia affordable housing provider, has partnered with Dimension to offer an exclusive shared solar subscription to their residents. Close to 1,000 CHP residents have enrolled to-date.
Virginia’s Shared Solar Program is part of the Virginia Clean Economy Act that passed in 2020. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently signed four bipartisan bills that will expand the shared solar program by 200 MW.
About Dimension Renewable Energy
Dimension is a leading developer and operator of community solar solutions. For the communities in which we invest, our fleet of solar projects delivers clean energy, local jobs, tax revenue, and savings, alongside other benefits including workforce development and educational opportunities. We are a turnkey provider of these solutions: from site acquisition and development, to construction and operation, we are a steady and reliable presence in our communities.

ATLANTA, Ga. –– Today, Dimension Renewable Energy (Dimension), a leading community solar developer and operator, completed the commissioning of seven New Jersey community solar facilities and announced a multi-year pledge to invest $5 million in U.S. green collar workforce development to train 1,500 solar professionals.
The workforce development pledge builds upon Dimension’s existing work partnering with local non-profits, high schools, community colleges, and adult education centers to deliver in-classroom solar installation instruction, hands-on basic solar construction skills, and OSHA safety certification. The company has active and in-development training programs with organizations nationwide and is focused on serving historically marginalized communities with its workforce development pledge.
In New Jersey, where Dimension today announced 14 megawatts (MW) of new community solar projects, more than 50 individuals have participated to date in the company’s training and education programs. Program participants were also able to gain hands-on training at Dimension’s project sites, a unique benefit of Dimension’s training programs.
Dimension’s New Jersey community solar installations will supply low-cost clean energy to power more than 2,500 households in Public Service Energy and Gas (PSEG) territory, including 1,300 low- and moderate- income households. Dimension expects the facilities to generate more than $550,000 in annual energy savings for subscribers. The installations are located in the townships of Franklin, Saddle Brook, West Caldwell and Moorestown.
“As a community solar developer, ‘community’ is core to who we are,” said Bryan Bentrott, Vice President/Origination at Dimension. “We believe in making clean energy more accessible to everyone, and are committed to workforce development that helps localize the economic benefits of our projects. By empowering residents to participate directly in community solar, here in New Jersey, and more broadly at all of our sites across the country, Dimension is creating opportunities for upward employment mobility in the communities we serve. The work we’re doing in New Jersey is a sample of what we’re initiating in multiple states.”
The New Jersey projects are roof-mounted on industrial warehouses owned by landlords such as STAG Industrial and were developed in partnership with Black Bear Energy, a leading onsite renewable energy technology service firm.
“Black Bear is excited to see the energization of Dimension’s New Jersey community solar portfolio, and we applaud Dimension’s continued leadership on green workforce training,” said Drew Torbin, President of Black Bear Energy. “Our clients chose to work with Dimension in New Jersey because they wanted a local partner who they knew could deliver. That’s been proven by their success in this program.”
“At STAG Industrial, we value working with companies who execute on their commitments, and Dimension has done just that,” said Brian LaMont, STAG’s Senior Vice President of Construction/Sustainability. “We are thrilled to deploy three of our New Jersey properties for community solar projects that deliver energy savings to local residents, particularly low-and-moderate income homes. These projects are only the start of what STAG and Dimension plan to execute together in the coming years.”

WAYNESBORO, Va. –– Today Dimension Renewable Energy (Dimension) will be joined by leading elected officials, state regulators, and industry partners to celebrate one of the state’s first shared solar facilities––a 5 megawatt (MW) project in Waynesboro, Virginia that will bring low-cost clean energy to 1,200 nearby low-income households.
The project, called Waynesboro Bridge Solar, is one of 12 solar facilities developed, owned, and operated by Dimension that will be first to go live under the state’s shared solar program. The portfolio will be subscribed to by nearly 10,000 low-income households and generate over $20 million in savings for those subscribers.
Unlike utility scale or rooftop solar, shared solar, or community solar, allows renters, small businesses, and homeowners who lack adequate roof space or cannot afford their own solar panels to subscribe to the shared solar facility, and lower their electric bills.
“As a result of years of hard work getting Virginia’s shared solar program off the ground, Virginians will now be able to take control of their electric bill and participate in the clean energy economy without having to buy their own solar panels or own a home,” said Bryan Bentrott, Vice President of Origination at Dimension.
Dimension’s Waynesboro Bridge project will provide reduced-cost clean energy to nearby Virginians, including residents of Community Housing Partners (CHP) properties in Dominion Energy’s service territory. CHP is an affordable housing provider that partners with Dimension to offer “CHP Solar Savings,” a shared solar subscription available exclusively to their residents.
“Subscribers to the Waynesboro Bridge Solar project can expect a guaranteed monthly savings of 10 percent,” said Angie Roberts-Dobbins, Vice President of Resident Services at CHP. “Multiply that savings by the total number of subscribers the site can serve over its lifetime, and that translates to $2.8 million that can be turned back into the local economy.”
Shared solar is available to all customers, residential and commercial, in Dominion Energy service territory; however, program participation is capped at 150 MW and is further limited by extra on-bill charges assessed specifically on subscribers by Dominion Energy. Customers of Appalachian Power currently do not have access to a shared solar program. In last year’s legislative session, efforts to expand the Dominion program and create a program in Appalachian Power territory stalled in the House of Delegates due to utility opposition after passing the state Senate.
“Shared Solar is launching with the completion of these projects and the thousands of households they will serve, but we need legislative action to bring Shared Solar to more Virginians. We are ready to build on bipartisan support to make Shared Solar broadly available across the Commonwealth,” said Charlie Coggeshall, Mid-Atlantic regional director of CCSA. “An expanded program can bring billions of dollars in benefits from avoiding utility infrastructure build out that benefits all utility customers. CCSA is looking forward to the next legislative session where we will be quantifying these benefits and supporting new legislation to bring those benefits to fruition.”
In addition to delivering monthly savings for subscribers, the Waynesboro Bridge Solar project has created over 40 new local jobs for contractors, electricians, engineers, surveyors, and maintenance crews. It is also contributing over $550,000 in real estate tax revenue for Augusta County.
About Dimension Renewable Energy
Dimension is a leading developer and operator of community solar solutions. For the communities in which we invest, our fleet of solar projects delivers clean energy, local jobs, tax revenue, and savings, alongside other benefits including workforce development and educational opportunities. We are a turnkey provider of these solutions: from site acquisition and development, to construction and operation, we are a steady and reliable presence in our communities.

No roof, no solar power.
That has been the dispiriting equation shutting out roughly half of all Americans from plugging into the sun.
But signing up for solar soon might be as easy as subscribing to Netflix. Scores of new small solar farms that sell clean, local electricity directly to customers are popping up. The setup, dubbed “community solar,” is designed to bring solar power to people who don’t own their own homes or can’t install panels — often at prices below retail electricity rates.
[...]
The biggest benefit may be expanding access to clean energy to the roughly half of U.S. consumers and businesses not able to install their own solar panels. “The great promise of community solar is it allows everyone to be part of the energy transition,” says Brandon Smithwood of Dimension Renewable Energy, a company that has financed more than 1,000 MW of solar projects, “and not feel they’re being left behind.”
Read the full article by Michael J. Coren in The Washington Post.

ATLANTA, Sept. 11, 2023 – Dimension Renewable Energy (Dimension), a leading developer and operator of community solar projects, has announced the closing of a $237 million financing to support the construction of a 120 MWdc distributed generation portfolio. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, acted as lead debt syndicator, with NT Solar and Advantage Capital arranging the tax equity.
The portfolio comprises 28 solar projects located across NewYork, New Jersey, Virginia, and California. Dimension’s projects will provide local solar energy to more than 12,000 residential and commercial customers, with over half of the portfolio dedicated to serving low-and-moderate income households.
“We are pleased to partner with leading solar lenders and tax equity institutions as we accelerate the growth of community solar across the United States,” said Rafael Dobrzynski, Co-Founder and CEO of Dimension. “Our strong capital position demonstrates Dimension’s leadership in building the country’s leading community solar IPP, as we lead the way in making the benefits of solar energy accessible to all.”
Dimension is a portfolio company of Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, acting on behalf of its clients. Dimension fits within Partners Group's global thematic focus on investments within the decarbonization sector.
Community solar is an important regulatory tool for expanding renewable energy access by allowing utility customers to adopt solar energy without installing panels at home. Households and small businesses can subscribe to a share of a local community solar project and receive energy-saving credits on their utility bill every month. Dimension’s projects also deliver workforce development and education programs that bring capacity-building investments to local communities.
Dimension and its financing partners tailored a capital structure best suited to its unique portfolio of assets. With its expertise in community solar financing, SVB was the ideal partner for Dimension on this portfolio.
Bret Turner, Head of Project Finance Business Development and Innovation for Silicon Valley Bank, said, “We are thrilled to have led and structured Dimension’s inaugural project financing for this important portfolio of community solar projects for the company. Silicon Valley Bank is excited to support Dimension as they help to make clean energy affordable, accessible, equitable and flexible for residents and businesses.”
CohnReznick Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Dimension. Stoel Rives acted as counsel for Dimension and Milbank acted as counsel for SVB and lenders.
About Dimension Renewable Energy
Dimension is a leading developer and operator of community solar solutions. For the communities in which we invest, our fleet of solar projects delivers clean energy, local jobs, tax revenue, and savings, alongside other benefits including workforce development and educational opportunities.We are a turnkey provider of these solutions: from site acquisition and development to construction and operation, we are a steady and reliable presence in our communities.
About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First CitizensBank, is the bank of some of the world’s most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB’s parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA ), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First-Citizens Bank &Trust Company, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com
About NT Solar
NT Solar, a subsidiary of the National Trust CommunityInvestment Corporation, raises and manages solar investments that create meaningful community impact and cost-effective energy options nationwide. Since its inception in 2010, NT Solar has provided tax credit financing of over $500million in capital for transactions nationwide, with a focus on the growingCommunity Solar market. Our varied network of partners and extensive experience in diligence and structuring provide our developers with competitive pricing and stable returns for our investors.
About Advantage Capital
Advantage Capital provides financing to established and emerging companies located in communities underserved by conventional sources of capital. Since 1992, the firm has invested more than $4.1 billion in companies from a diverse array of industry sectors and has helped support more than 66,000 jobs. Learn more at www.advantagecap.com or LinkedIn.
About CohnReznick Capital
CohnReznick Capital is a renewable energy investment bank providing industry-leading financial services to the sustainability sector.Since 2008, the firm has executed over 270 project and corporate transactions for renewable energy assets, valued at over $42.2 billion in aggregate. CohnReznick Capital is wholly committed to the clean energy transition and delivers innovative solutions to financial institutions, infrastructure funds, strategic participants (IPPs and utilities), and global clean energy developers. CohnReznick Capital helps clients break through the dynamic and evolving sustainability sector by simplifying project finance,M&A, capital raising, and special situations. To learn more, please visit https://www.cohnreznickcapital.com.

Dimension Renewable Energy (“Dimension”) joins GRID Alternatives and Self Help Enterprises to congratulate the 11 Central Valley students who have completed Dimension’s inaugural solar training program that will lead to jobs in California’s growing green economy.
Community solar is poised to meet California’s growing energy and reliability needs over the next decade and Dimension is committed to making sure the communities that host our projects benefit from this growth. Through our partnerships with GRID Alternatives and community organizations like Self Help Enterprises, Dimension is working to localize the benefits that its community solar projects create.
GRID Alternatives’ Solar Installation Basics Training (IBT) 200 program creates clean energy career pathways. Participants receive five weeks of intense, hands-on training in solar installation, and upon successful completion of IBT 200, participants are awarded solar industry skill certificates. Trainees also have the opportunity to showcase their newly developed skills to potential employers during the final week of training.
"Connecting our trainees to job opportunities in community solar is a critical step in advancing equitable access to California's rapidly growing renewable energy industry," said Dan Dumovich, Director of Strategic Initiatives at GRID Alternatives. "We are excited to see these students build careers in solar by working on projects that in turn directly benefit the communities where they live and work."
Workforce development programs are transformative. Graduating students in this cohort came to GRID Alternatives from other careers, high school vocational programs, and the criminal justice system. And for half of the students completing the course, the IBT 200 program is just the first step in their training journey. Under the unique partnership between Dimension and GRID, these students will transition to Dimension’s community solar projects. In the coming weeks, they will receive further paid training on-site as they launch their solar careers.
“At GRID we believe that we can grow the trainees’ skills to speak louder than their backgrounds," said Karina Gonzalez, Co-Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Central Valley. “We want their work to speak for itself.”
Together, workforce development programs and community solar projects transform communities. Dimension’s community solar projects remove barriers to access so that low-income households, renters, and those who cannot install solar on their homes can subscribe to the clean energy produced by a shared, offsite solar facility. Even better, community solar subscriptions reduce electric bills.
“Savings from community solar help low-income families with their everyday living, put money in the bank, or just have a little breathing room at the end of the month.” said Melynda Metheney, Project Tech at Self Help Enterprises, a community outreach partner working with GRID Alternatives and Dimension.
“Dimension is excited to expand our community initiatives across California. We want to bring workforce training, educational programming, and energy savings to all the communities where we operate.” said Sam Youneszadeh, Dimension’s Chief Development Officer. “We and our partners look forward to welcoming many more graduates to the green workforce.”
About GRID Alternatives Central Valley:
As part of GRID Alternatives national network, GRID Alternatives Central Valley leads teams of volunteers and job trainees in installing solar electric systems for low-income families living in San Joaquin County to the north through Kern County in the south. Their installations and trainings provide families with needed savings and give workers hands-on experience to help them find jobs in the green-tech economy.
About Self Help Enterprises:
Self-Help Enterprises is a nationally recognized community development organization whose mission is to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. Since 1965, Self-Help Enterprises’ efforts have touched the lives of over 65,000 families in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. Their Sustainable Energy Solutions team focuses on connecting disadvantaged communities to resources that provide access to affordable energy and clean transportation infrastructure.
About Dimension Renewable Energy
Dimension is a leading developer and operator of community solar solutions. For the communities in which we invest, our fleet of solar projects delivers clean energy, local jobs, tax revenue, and savings, alongside other benefits including workforce development and educational opportunities. We are a turnkey provider of these solutions: from site acquisition and development to construction and operation, we are a steady and reliable presence in our communities.















