Solar installation firm to make Bethlehem home

December 6, 2017
Posted in News
December 6, 2017 terrasmart

A solar installation firm is going to make the town of Bethlehem its home, but it’s probably not the one you think.

TerraSmart, a large commercial solar installer based in Fort Myers, Fla. is planning to open a large warehouse, office and racking facility in Selkirk off River Road.

The company is currently seeking to fill eight job openings for what appear to be installation jobs in the Capital Region.

The other solar firm that has been looking to put a similar facility in Bethlehem is Monolith Solar, which wants to build a new $5 million headquarters at the Vista Technology Campus in Slingerlands.

Monolith has been trying to get financing for that project since 2014 but company officials were hopeful that they could obtain bank approval this month and start construction in the spring. Monolith currently has its headquarters in Rensselaer.

TerraSmart, which has been doing a lot of business in Massachusetts and New York, will just be leasing 30 acres from Finke Enterprises, which owns the property at 1273 River Road, just north of Exit 22 of the Thruway.

The property has a 8,100 square-foot building with warehouse and office space.

TerraSmart is planning to have 12 employees at the facility, according to documents submitted to the Bethlehem planning board, which must approve the use.

TerraSmart helped to build what is set to become the second-largest solar farm in New York state, the Shoreham Solar Commons on Long Island. The company works with developers as the installer.

It has also done large solar projects in other upstate New York communities and in western Massachusetts and outside of Boston.