NEW YORK, July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Soltage-Greenwood, a joint venture between the premier North American solar power provider Soltage, LLC, and Greenwood Energy, the North and Latin American clean energy division of the Libra Group, today announced an equity financing of $70 million led by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) for the construction and operation of seven solar photovoltaic (PV) power stations in Massachusetts and North Carolina totaling 32 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity.

This is the second Soltage-Greenwood commitment led by John Hancock, and builds upon a first round of solar PV assets announced earlier this year. Together, the consortium of investors has committed more than $110 million of investment into 13 Soltage-Greenwood solar projects, located in five states with a combined generating capacity of 45 MW. Once commissioned, electricity will be sold exclusively through long-term agreements with a mix of municipalities and utilities.

"This second portfolio demonstrates the stability and repeatability of solar investment through our capital platform," said Jesse Grossman, Soltage co-founder & CEO. "We look forward to managing these solar assets for the benefit of our electricity clients and investment partners for decades to come."

"We are truly pleased to have John Hancock's continued support in our current and future solar projects," said Camilo Patrignani, CEO of Greenwood Energy. "This comes as a great follow-up to the initial portfolio developed by the Soltage-Greenwood team earlier this year."

"We are pleased to execute an additional transaction with Soltage-Greenwood," said Recep C. Kendircioglu, CFA, Managing Director on John Hancock's Power & Infrastructure Group. "These solar assets represent a continuation of our relationship with the Soltage-Greenwood team to further deploy capital into clean, reliable sources of energy."

Soltage-Greenwood, a joint venture formed in 2013, is focused on the development, financing and operation of solar power plants for commercial-scale customers. The joint venture combines Greenwood Energy, the clean energy division for the Americas of the Libra Group, a privately owned international business group comprising 30 subsidiaries operating across five continents with Soltage, LLC, a leader in U.S. solar development backed by a group of investors including Tenaska, one of America's largest independent energy companies with approximately 11,000 MW of power generating assets under management.

About Greenwood Energy 

Greenwood Energy (http://www.gwenergy.com) is the North and Latin American clean energy division of the Libra Group (http://www.libra.com), a privately owned international business group comprising 30 subsidiaries operating across five continents. Greenwood's clean energy interests span the manufacture of sustainable fuels that replace coal; ownership of clean power generation plants such as fuel cell and combined heat and power (CHP); solar energy investment and development; and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the solar sector. The Libra Group is predominantly focused on five core sectors: shipping, aviation, real estate, hospitality and energy. In addition to Greenwood's clean energy interests in the U.S., Libra Group companies own and operate solar farms, wind parks, and biogas facilities throughout the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

About Soltage  

Soltage is a leader in the development, financing and operation of solar power stations for commercial, industrial and municipal clients. Since its founding, Soltage has successfully developed 30 solar power projects totaling more than 70 megawatts (MW) of distributed generating capacity. Soltage is backed by a group of investors, including Tenaska, one of America's largest independent energy companies with approximately 11,000 MW of power generating assets under management. Soltage is headquartered in Jersey City, N.J. http://www.soltage.com

SOURCE Greenwood Energy and Soltage