8minute Solar Energy

Founded in 2009 by Tom Buttgenbach and Martin Hermann, the company initially known as 8minute Solar Energy has evolved into Avantus, a prominent American developer of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants and energy storage solutions. Dr. Buttgenbach, who holds a Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from Caltech, established the company with the vision of combating climate change through large-scale renewable energy, naming it for the eight minutes it takes sunlight to reach Earth. In September 2022, 8minute Solar Energy rebranded to Avantus to reflect its expanded scope beyond solar development into an advanced ecosystem of clean energy products and services.

Avantus specializes in developing, building, owning, and operating energy infrastructure, primarily serving utility and corporate clients across the Western and Southwestern United States. The company's business model involves developing large-scale solar and storage projects and then either operating them under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or selling the developed projects to other energy companies and investors. Notable clients include major utilities in California and Nevada, Arizona Public Service, and corporate customers. The company has secured significant financing throughout its history, including a $400 million investment from EIG in 2022 and was majority-acquired by global investment firm KKR in March 2024.

The company's core offering is the development of integrated networks of smart power plants, combining solar generation with large-scale battery storage. These systems are designed to provide reliable, zero-emission energy at costs competitive with fossil fuels. Avantus employs proprietary technologies and digital tools, such as large-scale simulations and predictive analytics, to optimize system architecture and power plant design. This allows their plants to offer grid stabilization services and react to outages in milliseconds, achieving 99% availability. The company's development pipeline is one of the largest in the United States, with over 70 projects representing more than 50 GW of solar and 78 GWh of energy storage. Key projects have included the Mount Signal Solar cluster, once the largest operating solar project in the U.S., and the Eland Solar & Storage Center, which delivers solar power day and night to Los Angeles and Glendale at record-low prices.

Keywords: Avantus, 8minute Solar Energy, utility-scale solar, solar energy storage, clean energy developer, photovoltaic power plants, Tom Buttgenbach, renewable energy infrastructure, smart power plants, battery storage solutions, solar project financing, Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), grid stabilization, solar farm development, Eland Solar & Storage Center, Mount Signal Solar, renewable energy projects, energy infrastructure investment, solar technology, large-scale energy storage, KKR, EIG