Matrix Renewables inaugurates 284-MWdc Stillhouse Solar in ERCOT Texas

• Matrix Renewables opened its 284-MWdc Stillhouse Solar plant in Bell County, adding a sizable block of daytime generation to the ERCOT grid.

Matrix Renewables has commissioned the 284-MWdc Stillhouse Solar project in Bell County, Texas, delivering a fresh tranche of daytime capacity into ERCOT at a time of fast load growth and frequent evening price spikes. The plant’s scale and siting reflect a strategy focused on strong nodes, repeatable engineering, and portfolio-level O&M that squeezes more availability from each installed megawatt.

Engineering follows the now-standard utility-scale recipe in Texas: high-efficiency (often bifacial) modules on single-axis trackers to extend output into morning and evening shoulders; DC/AC ratios sized for annual yield and inverter efficiency; and plant-level controllers tuned for ERCOT requirements, including reactive power support, ramp-rate limits, and fault ride-through. Unified SCADA with string-level telemetry supports predictive maintenance—thermal imaging, IV-curve tracing, and targeted cleaning—that adds basis points of availability over decades.

While Stillhouse is solar-only at launch, the design typically preserves pad space and transformer headroom for a future two- to four-hour battery. Storage would let Matrix shift afternoon energy into the dusk peak, curb curtailment on bright days, and monetize ancillary services as spreads evolve—an increasingly common retrofit across ERCOT’s solar fleet.

Delivery discipline mattered. Early procurement of transformers, switchgear, and protection systems helped avoid the supply-chain bottlenecks that have delayed projects in recent seasons. Sequenced substation works and staged energization should allow portions of the site to generate revenue while remaining blocks complete.

Community integration included construction traffic routing, dust and noise controls, drainage sized for Texas downpours, and landscaping to soften views. Wildlife-friendly fencing and end-of-life recycling pathways for modules and balance-of-plant components are embedded in plans, aligning with lender expectations.

For ERCOT, Stillhouse adds a substantial block of local daytime megawatt-hours that can moderate prices and reduce gas burn during summer peaks. For Matrix, it’s another demonstration of scaled execution in a market that rewards speed, grid-fit, and optionality for storage—turning development maps into electrons on the wire.