2025 Midwest Best Projects
Award of Merit, Safety: Double Black Diamond Solar
Double Black Diamond Solar
Virden, Ill.
Award of Merit
Submitted by McCarthy Building Cos.
Owner: Swift Current
EPC Contractor: McCarthy Building Cos.
Civil/Structural Engineer: EVS
MEP Engineer: McCalmont Engineering
Completed in December 2024, this project became the largest operating solar facility in Illinois and east of the Mississippi River. The 593-megawattAC / 800-megawattDC solar facility is equipped with an onsite substation with three main power transformers—one of the largest the contractor has ever completed.
The project features more than 1.6 million American-made First Solar panels, a 50/50 mix of Series 6+ and Series 7. Each is equipped with NEXTracker Horizon solar tracking technology, which rotates panels to follow the sun’s movement across the sky, maximizing energy production.
The contractor’s culture of safety empowered every team member to voice concerns and supported them with the necessary resources and training to work safely. Many new hires on the project were unfamiliar with renewable energy, so the contractor developed a comprehensive orientation and craft training program to ensure all field employees were fully prepared before beginning hands-on work. With summer heat risks top of mind, project leadership implemented a heat illness prevention and acclimation program. Before any physical work, employees were trained on both installation methods and working safely in extreme heat.
