Solar Energy Development & Generation
Utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar energy developers, owners, and installers.
- 4
- Verticals
Overview
Solar Energy Development & Generation covers the development, construction, ownership, and operation of solar power projects — from utility-scale solar farms to community and distributed solar. It spans developers and independent power producers (NextEra Energy Resources, AES, Invenergy), residential/commercial installers (Sunrun, Sunnova), and the asset owners who hold long-term generation.
Demand is propelled by solar's status as the cheapest new electricity in many markets, IRA investment and production tax credits, corporate PPAs, and surging electricity demand (data centers). It is the largest source of new U.S. generation capacity additions. It is consolidating around scaled developers and asset owners, with project development, interconnection queues, and capital the key constraints.
Market snapshot
- Net generation
- ~295 TWh — utility-scale + small-scale (~7% of U.S. generation, 2024)
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2024
- Capacity added (2024)
- +30 GW utility-scale — 61% of all U.S. capacity additions, a record
- EIA Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, 2024
Solar generation (NAICS 221114, ~$6B reported) is sized under Power Generation; solar development and distributed/residential solar span construction and services classifications and are not separately sized here.
Business model & economics
- Revenue model
- Development, PPAs, generation sales, and tax-credit monetization
- Recurring revenue
- High — long-term PPAs and generation
- EBITDA margin
- Strong — contracted, infrastructure-like economics
- Capex intensity
- High
- Cheapest new electricity in many markets.
- Largest source of new U.S. capacity additions.
- IRA credits, corporate PPAs, and data-center demand.
M&A deal context
Who’s acquiring
What’s driving deals
- IRA credits and corporate PPA demand.
- Developer and asset-portfolio consolidation.
- Data-center-driven electricity demand.
Verticals in this segment
- 7.8.9.1Commercial & Industrial Solar (C&I)
Companies developing commercial rooftop and community solar projects.
- 7.8.9.2Community Solar Programs
Subscription-based community solar program operators.
- 7.8.9.3Residential Solar Installers
Companies installing rooftop solar on single-family homes.
- 7.8.9.4Utility-Scale Solar Developers
Developers and owners of utility-scale ground-mount solar farms.
Find Solar Energy Development & Generation acquisition targets
Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Solar Energy Development & Generation (7.8.9) and build a targeted deal pipeline.
Search companies