CS Energy Achieves 1 Gigawatt Installed of Solar Projects

National EPC energy firm, majority owned by funds managed by Ares Management Corporation, achieved significant milestone in August 2020

Edison, NJ, August 26, 2020 – CS Energy, LLC, a leading integrated energy firm that designs and builds optimized projects in the solar, storage and emerging energy industries, announced today that it has reached a major milestone: completing the installation of 1 gigawatt of solar energy projects.

The 1 GW achievement puts CS Energy in a distinguished category. According to Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors* rankings, fewer than 10 EPCs have installed 1 GW of solar as of 2020, but with CS Energy’s consistent 20 percent annual growth rate, the milestone was reached quickly. The company closed 2018 with 650 MW of completed solar projects and ended 2019 with 820 MW. In 2020, CS Energy reached 1,000 MW, despite industry contractions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is an incredible milestone, and one only possible because of the hard work and dedication of our team,” shared Matthew Skidmore, CEO of CS Energy. “I am so proud of our talented workforce, which has completed CS Energy projects to the highest standards of quality and safety across the country. We’re excited to put our deep experience to work for our clients as we begin installing the next gigawatt.”

CS Energy has completed nearly 200 solar projects across 16 states, in a mix of utility-scale solar projects and energy storage projects. Much of the 1 GW has been completed in the last three years as the firm manages increasingly larger projects, such as a recent 29 MW solar project in New Jersey. The growth coincides with funds managed by the Infrastructure and Power strategy of Ares Management Corporation taking majority ownership of the company in 2018.

“We made a strategic investment in CS Energy knowing the firm had the capabilities to expand its impact on renewable energy projects across the country,” shared Keith Derman, Partner and Co-Head of Ares Infrastructure and Power. “We are thrilled that CS Energy has been able to achieve such a substantial milestone and consider it a testament to the company’s legacy of experience and reliability.”

The 1 GW accomplishment comes as CS Energy garners additional recognition from the solar industry. CS Energy was named the nation’s number-one commercial solar installer in 2019 by global research firm Wood Mackenzie. With more than 10 percent of the U.S. market share, CS Energy installed as much as the second- and third-ranked companies combined. In 2020, CS Energy once again made Solar Power World magazine’s annual list of Top Solar Contractors, ranking in the Top 10 for national EPCs, and as the #1 solar contractor in both New York and New Jersey.

Additionally, the company utilizes its expertise to lead a variety of solar industry subsectors. CS Energy is considered an expert in landfill solar installations, having installed more than 160 MW on top of closed capped landfills. CS Energy is also on the forefront of Solar + Storage projects: the company has installed more than 135 MWh of energy storage projects and is ranked as the #2 Solar + Storage installer in the nation by Solar Power World.

Starting with just 12 employees in 2004, the company has grown to a highly skilled team of more than 160 people. CS Energy began in the solar industry as part of The Conti Group, a construction and engineering firm that has been operating for more than 115 years. Building on the organic success in the solar industry, the group branched out into Conti Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Conti Group, in 2017. Conti Solar was majority acquired by funds managed by the Infrastructure and Power strategy of Ares Management Corporation in 2018 the company rebranded as CS Energy.

“CS Energy is thriving from the roots planted at The Conti Group—roots in skilled construction, quality customer service, and an educated leadership group. It’s been a pleasure to see CS Energy deliver on our shared vision of creating a nation-leading integrated energy company,” said Kurt Conti, Chairman of the Board of The Conti Group.

* https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020-top-solar-contractors/