Data Centers Love Solar: Here is a complete manual for deals over 100 megawatts

The hand to take advantage of the buzz around AI has led technology companies to dramatically expand their prints from the Data Center. This is good news for companies like NVIDIA, but it also has led to unprecedented growth in the energy industry.

New and expanded data centers are expected Double the sector’s power search By 2029, according to JLL. As a result, developers and technology companies work extraordinarily to lock in capacity. Nuclear and natural gas achieved impetus to predicted demand, but few technology has benefited in the near future as solar energy.

Although solar energy suffers from what experts call periodicity – it will not produce if the sun does not shine – the ascending is so significant that companies are frying large deals at a rapid pace.

Unlike modern nuclear reactors that are not yet commercially located, solar energy is a proven technology. And unlike the new natural gas power plants that take years to plan and build, the average time to complete a new solar farm is about 18 monthsS Plus, this is one of the lowest costs for a new generating capacity.

Since the beginning of 2025, technology companies and operators of the Data Center have supported 12 solar deals, each adding more than 100 megawatts to the network.

January

Meta starts the year with A 200-megawatt solar deal With multinational electrical utility Engie. The purchase went to a solar farm near one of the existing company data centers in Texas. By the time of the deal, the Meta had already had over 12 gigs of generating capacity in its renewable portfolio.

Later in January the Stargate AI partnership between OpenAi, Oracle and SoftBank Group was reported by Bloomberg for powered, at least in part, by solar energyS SB Energy, which is part of SoftBank’s portfolio, is expected to develop solar installations supported by batteries on the scale of the network.

Meta closed the month with Another massive solar dealThe one with Spanish renewable developer Zelestra. The contract was for 595 megawatts.

February

Meta continued its series in February, investing in a 505-megated sunny project With the renewable energy sources of Cypress Creek, which develops the massive installation in Coleman County, Texas – about 150 miles northwest of Austin.

Microsoft also entered the fight in February. The company has long been a buyer of renewable energy to power its operations and added 389 megawatts of solar energy in a deal with EDP renewable energy sources in North America. The contract covers three different solar farms, two in Illinois and one in Texas. Purchases helped Microsoft remain on top of his promise to power his operations using zero carbon power.

Amazon also made a big purchaseSupporting a hybrid project on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes wind, sunny and pump-hydroelectric storage. The deal includes 476 megawatts in total, of which 212 megawatts are sunny.

Outside the US, operators of the Data Center are also investing in solar energy. In India, Ctrls builds your own 125-megawatt facility In two phases, the first half of which was completed in June 2024, the second being completed in early February. In South America Telecom Argentina agreed to buy electricity from 130-megatt solar farm Developed by MSU Green Energy.

March

Microsoft added three more solar developments in March, Again focuses on the MidwestS The projects cover Illinois, Michigan and Missouri and they are developed by AES. Together, they will provide Microsoft 475 megaw capacity, adding to their significant 34-gig.

Cisco joined the game with a 100-megawatt with X-ELIO, a sun developer owned by Brookfield, an asset manager who has bet a big Of renewable energy sources. Electricity purchase agreements see the capacity to buy Cisco from two different solar energy projects in Texas.

Meta added 200 more solar energy to its portfolio in March through A deal with RWES The solar farm will be built precisely southeast of Austin.

In Italy, Data Data Center Operator4 signed a 10-year deal With the Edison Energia Communal Energy to buy energy from a 148-megat sun farm northwest of Rome.

More likely more deals

As technology companies compete to add AI to a seemingly product and possible market, data centers are expanding to maintain the pace. This growth requires energy, and few technologies are as well positioned as solar energy.

The solar energy on a scale is already One of the cheapest Forms of new capacity to generate without counting subsidies, undercutting everything except on the wind. It is also quickly unfolded and can be ordered in phases, allowing data centers to download power before the whole project is completed.

These qualities were combined to give Solar in the short term by collecting deals with large technology companies and developers of data centers. This is a trend that is likely to continue.