ForeFront Power announced the commercial operation of its first solar energy system utilizing Erthos technology at the City of Fresno’s Northeast Surface Water Treatment Plant. The Erthos Earth Mount Solar system distinguishes itself by mounting solar modules directly on the ground without structural steel support, eliminating procurement and installation costs associated with traditional ground-mounted systems.
ForeFront Power initially approached Erthos in 2023 when supply chain disruptions and inflation drove up labor and material costs. The company determined that constructing a conventional ground-mounted system would prove economically unfeasible at the site. By adopting Erthos technology, ForeFront Power reduced overall development expenses, enabling the company to offer the City of Fresno competitive electricity rates under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. According to the arrangement, ForeFront Power owns and operates the system while supplying power at a fixed rate lower than utility pricing.
The Fresno installation represents one component of a broader three-site renewable energy portfolio developed for the city’s Department of Public Utilities. The combined 27 megawatt-DC capacity across the Northeast and Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facilities and the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility is projected to deliver over $122 million in savings to ratepayers by 2045. Since entering commercial operation in late March 2026, the system has consistently exceeded performance targets, averaging 101 percent of projected energy generation and delivering 862 megawatt-hours to the city.
The Erthos system achieves higher generating capacity per acre through its no-row-spacing architecture and ability to follow terrain slopes up to 15 percent. ForeFront Power and Erthos established an Energy Services Agreement under which Erthos maintains the installation, including automated array cleaning via its ErthBot autonomous cleaning robot. Each ErthBot is designed to service over 3.5 megawatt-DC of solar capacity and operates nightly as conditions warrant, returning to its charging dock after use.
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