Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Ares EIF to Acquire Majority Stake in Conti Solar


EDISON, NJ & LOS ANGELES-– April 17, 2018 -- Conti Solar, an industry-leading renewable energy development, engineering, procurement, and construction company, announced today that it has received a strategic investment from a fund managed by Ares EIF, the power and energy infrastructure strategy in the Private Equity Group at Ares Management, L.P. (NYSE: ARES). Expected to close at the end of April, the investment will give Ares EIF a majority ownership stake in Conti Solar with a minority position retained by The Conti Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The company will continue to operate as Conti Solar, maintain its current offices, and be managed by its current executive team. The Conti Group will continue to be involved in the oversight and strategic direction of the company.

Conti Solar, previously a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Conti Group, has been active in the development, engineering, procurement, construction, and operations of solar and energy storage projects totaling more than 500 MW throughout the United States and in select international markets for more than a decade.

“The investment from Ares EIF will make Conti Solar a more dynamic company and will enable us to accelerate our growth and pursue additional strategic initiatives,” said Matthew Skidmore, CEO of Conti Solar. “Together, we will drive more value to our customers and partners across the industry.”

Ares EIF is an experienced investor in the U.S. power and energy infrastructure sector and has invested in nearly 130 different power and energy infrastructure assets with a combined underlying enterprise value exceeding $20 billion.

“Our investment in Conti Solar is a great strategic fit for Ares EIF, but, above all, it is an investment in Conti Solar’s management and the strong team and culture they have built over the years,” said Keith Derman, Partner with Ares EIF. “We will work collaboratively with Matt and his team to continue to build upon the successes they have already achieved.”

“We are extremely excited to partner with Ares EIF as there is a strong cultural fit between our organizations in addition to complementary skill sets and a shared strategic vision,” said Kurt Conti, Chairman of The Conti Group. “This investment continues to advance our longstanding vision of building a world-class renewable energy company.”

About Conti Solar
Conti Solar is an industry-leading solar power and energy storage development, EPC and O&M company. Our attention to detail, flawless execution and collaborative culture has enabled us to successfully develop and install over 500MW of solar projects. We leverage established partnerships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers and landowners to streamline project development, design, construction and operations, driving down project costs and creating value across all project stakeholders. www.contisolar.com

About Ares Management, L.P.
Ares Management, L.P. is a publicly traded, leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $106 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2017 and more than 15 offices in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since its inception in 1997, Ares has adhered to a disciplined investment philosophy that focuses on delivering strong risk-adjusted investment returns throughout market cycles. Ares believes each of its three distinct but complementary investment groups in Credit, Private Equity and Real Estate is a market leader based on assets under management and investment performance. Ares was built upon the fundamental principle that each group benefits from being part of the greater whole. For more information, visit www.aresmgmt.com

Ares EIF is the power and energy infrastructure strategy within Ares’ Private Equity Group, with a 31-year track record of investing in assets and companies in the power generation, transmission and midstream sectors.  Since inception, Ares EIF-managed funds have made approximately 70 equity investments in nearly 130 different power and energy infrastructure assets with a combined underlying enterprise value exceeding $20 billion. During the last 15 years, Ares EIF has invested in nearly 9,000 MW of greenfield generation and transmission projects, as well as 200 miles of greenfield pipeline projects, representing over $11 billion of capital costs.

About The Conti Group
The Conti Group is a holding company which owns businesses, assets and invests in development, engineering, construction, infrastructure, real estate, renewable energy, logistics, software and healthcare.

The Conti Group has a 112-year history of building successful, reputable businesses which make a positive impact. www.thecontigroup.com

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Conti Solar Sponsors Rutgers University School of Engineering Solar Car Team

Conti Solar, a leading national EPC, O&M, and energy storage development company, is proud to announce its sponsorship of Rutgers University's Solar Car Team. Established in 2011, the Rutgers Solar Car Team is working to design and build a fully functional, street legal, solar powered car.
"Sponsoring the Rutgers Solar Car Team is a natural fit for Conti," said Eric Millard, Vice President of Business Development, Conti Solar. "Our company's greatest strength is our people - their work ethic, ingenuity, and desire to succeed - and we want to encourage those traits in the next generation of solar engineers. What better way to start than in our own backyard?" 
Like Rutgers University, Conti Solar is a New Jersey-based organization with strong ties to the region. As part of The Conti Group, Conti Solar has more than a century of experience providing value for its clients, its staff and its community. The company continually invests in its employees to ensure they can grow and adapt to an ever-changing industry and is excited to extend that investment to encourage local engagement in the solar industry.
The Rutgers Solar Car Team's ultimate objective extends beyond building a functioning battery-electric vehicle (BEV). Once developed, the team will race its car in the American Solar Challenge. The annual event hosts teams in a race of strategy, endurance, and cutting-edge engineering: participants design and build a BEV powered entirely by solar cells embedded on the vehicle, and the cars must travel more than 1,700 miles over nine days in a multistage race. With Conti Solar's financial commitment, the team is one step closer toward meeting its goal.
More information about the Rutgers Solar Car Team can be found at http//www.rusolarcar.com.
Conti Solar is an industry-leading solar power and energy storage development, EPC and O&M company. Our attention to detail, flawless execution and collaborative culture has enabled us to successfully develop and install over 500MW of solar projects since our early initiatives in 2008. We leverage established partnerships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers and landowners to streamline project development, design, construction and operations, driving down project costs and creating value across all project stakeholders.
With a large balance sheet and over $1 billion in bonding capacity, Conti Solar is a bankable and trusted long-term partner. We operate in all major markets within the United States and have a growing global presence.
Conti Solar is a member of The Conti Group, a creator, builder, and operator of businesses. We are a diversified firm with companies in global infrastructure, construction, engineering, renewable energy, real estate development, technology, and biotechnology; the group also manages a portfolio of capital assets. The mission of The Conti Group is to create value for customers, partners, employees, and society.
For more information, visit http://contisolar.com.


Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Solar FlexRack Offers New Integrated Self Powered Solution for TDP™ Solar Trackers Reducing Electrical Installation Costs

Youngstown, OH, April 10, 2018 – Solar FlexRack, a division of Northern States Metals and an innovative leader in solar tracker, mounting and project support services, now offers a new, integrated Self Powered Solution for their TDP Solar Trackers. The safe and efficient technology simplifies the installation process by greatly reducing AC wiring and associated trenching, and providing a highly reliable system for large‐scale and commercial ground‐mounted solar installations.
The Solar FlexRack Self Powered option for the TDP Solar Tracker line is powered by a photovoltaic (PV) module and backed up with a rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery. Providing reliable, green energy storage, our high‐quality battery delivers optimum charging and extended life. The fully bankable technology includes integrated battery and charger, DC motor actuation, stand‐alone functionality, high precision voltage and current sensing, crystalline silicon module and mounting hardware.
Each tracker has its own independent controller with the Solar FlexRack Self Powered Solution allowing your solar farm the greatest amount of flexibility and best overall equipment availability. Commissioning is simplified with user‐friendly, LED code interface and keypad.
Bundled with industry‐leading project support services, Solar FlexRack’s next‐generation solar tracker solutions offer solar developers and EPCs more options to optimize their projects’ designs and installations for increased energy yields and reduced installation risks. Solar FlexRack’s TDP Trackers and now, their new Self Powered option, continue to offer advanced designs that translate to simpler, faster installation, and cost‐savings across the solar project’s budget.
About Solar FlexRack
Solar FlexRack, a division of Northern States Metals, is an integrated solar company that offers custom‐designed, fixed tilt ground mount and single‐axis solar tracker systems in the commercial and utility scale solar mounting industry. Solar FlexRack also offers full turnkey packages, including engineering, geotechnical, pullout testing, field, layout, and installation services, to address the actual site conditions of an installation, providing a full scope of services from design to delivery and installation. Solar FlexRack has completed more than 1.7 GW of solar racking installations in 32 states across America and five countries globally. For more information, go to www.solarflexrack.com and follow us on TwitterFacebook and LinkedIn.