McCarthy Building Companies’ national renewable energy group, based in Phoenix, recently expanded with the addition of two experienced solar construction experts and promotion of an experienced preconstruction leader.
McCarthy’s national renewable energy group, a top-ranked EPC (engineer, procure, construct) general contractor, focuses on building utility-scale solar plants across the United States. McCarthy’s engineering and construction services offer in-budget development, site selection analysis, constructability reviews, cost-estimating, value analysis, schedule development, project management and schedule control for utilities, developers and private companies.
Expansion of the firm’s renewable energy group grows McCarthy’s ability to provide clients with innovative and effective solutions for alternative energy projects. The promotion and new hires include the following McCarthy renewable energy directors:
Brenda Byers, Preconstruction Director: With a decade of experience in renewable energy construction, Byers was recently promoted to director of preconstruction and is now responsible for overseeing plant designs, collaborating with project partners and subcontractors, and working closely with the project teams to maximize preconstruction planning for solar projects. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wichita State University and a master’s degree in solar energy engineering and commercialization from Arizona State University. Byers is based in the firm’s Southwest regional office.
Phil Radin, Project Director: Radin began his career with MC Industrial, an independent McCarthy company, in 2000 and has nearly two decades of experience working on a wide array of industrial projects. He holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Central Missouri. He earned a LEED AP BD+C certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and he is also a member of the Association for Iron and Steel Technology. Radin is based in the firm’s Southeast regional office.
Mark Skidmore, Project Director: Skidmore has more than 14 years experience working in the solar industry covering all facets of a project from engineering and installation to operations and maintenance. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University (ASU). He is also a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer, Certified Energy Manager and a Registered Electrical Engineer in Arizona. He is a member of the Association for Energy Engineers, International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Construction Specification Institute, and he serves on the Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization Advisory Board at ASU. Mark is based in the firm’s Southwest regional office.
“Demand for clean renewable energy continues to grow, as communities around the country have come to understand its value as an economic driver, particularly in rural areas,” said Scott Canada, senior vice president of the renewable energy group at McCarthy Building Companies. “Since our customers have come to expect McCarthy to meet, or even beat, project schedules and provide expertise to the engineering and construction phases of their projects, we are expanding our group and adding resources that allow us to take on additional capacity, and deliver more clean energy in the years ahead.”
Since 2013, McCarthy’s renewable energy group has completed or is in the process of constructing more than 30 utility-scale clean energy projects in communities from coast to coast, representing a combined capacity of more than 1.3 Gigawatts (GW) of clean energy production. McCarthy earned a 5th place ranking for Top 10 Solar EPCs in the U.S. by Solar Power World's 2018 Top Solar Contractors.