Discover how two visionary leaders are transforming San Bernardino County with solar power. See how renewable energy is creating jobs and fueling a brighter future.
By Dale Weinbaum, California Business Journal
rive east from Los Angeles and the landscape transforms. The skyline fades, the freeways thin, and the air grows sharper as the vast inland desert stretches out. This is San Bernardino County — the largest in the United States by land area. It is a region of striking contrasts: endless sunshine, some of the highest solar irradiance levels in the country, and yet unemployment rates that continue to run higher than the state average.
That paradox — abundant natural resources but limited opportunity — is exactly what Sol Energy Solutions has set out to change.
Two Paths, One Vision
At the center of this story are two men whose paths could not have been more different, yet whose vision aligned in California’s high desert.
Farid Fardhabibi, a British national educated at the University of Leeds, built his career through entrepreneurship, real estate, and financial markets. Dr. Mehran Pourzand, also a British national and a graduate of Imperial College London, has spent more than 30 years in the energy sector, designing and delivering major power projects across the globe.
One brings entrepreneurial instinct, the other technical depth. Together, they founded Sol Energy Solutions to transform San Bernardino’s greatest resource — its sunlight — into clean power, new jobs, and long-term economic value.
A Project With Scale and Purpose
The company’s flagship solar and battery storage project is being built in phases. The first, scheduled to begin operations in 2027, will deliver 4.4 megawatts of solar generation paired with 10 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage. Two additional phases, each adding 10 MW of solar, will follow.
At completion, the project will provide 25 MW of solar power supported by 100 MWh of storage.
This is more than a construction timeline — it’s a statement that renewable energy in California can be about more than grid targets. It can be about place, and it can be about people.
From Sunlight to Jobs
For San Bernardino County, where unemployment remains above the statewide average, the economic ripple effect is as important as the electricity itself. Projects like Sol’s generate real work:
Construction crews hired locally
Regional suppliers landing new contracts
Technicians and operators gaining long-term employment
In short, this project doesn’t just generate electricity — it generates paychecks, skills, and pride. It offers opportunities for families who might otherwise have to leave the county in search of steady work.
Technology That’s Changed Everything
The timing is no accident. Solar and storage technology have advanced dramatically in the past decade.
High-efficiency solar panels now deliver significantly more power from the same footprint. Tracking systems allow panels to follow the sun across the sky, increasing daily output. And modern battery systems are safer, more durable, and more precise, capable of delivering clean energy when California needs it most — during evening peaks and demand surges.
This evolution has made solar and storage projects leaner, smarter, and better suited to California’s long-term energy strategy.
Broader Benefits Beyond the County
The impact will reach beyond San Bernardino. The project will generate renewable energy certificates (RECs), which businesses can purchase to offset carbon emissions. For companies across California, that means a verifiable, local way to reduce CO₂ output while supporting the state’s renewable economy.
It’s a model where everyone benefits: communities gain jobs and investment, businesses meet sustainability goals, and California advances its climate commitments.
A Legacy That Endures
For the founders, though, this work is about more than infrastructure. It is about creating legacy.
As Farid often reminds his team:
“Bricks and mortar may stand for a century, but a well-placed idea — one that powers lives and futures — can endure far longer. Sustainability isn’t just about what we build today; it’s about the legacy we leave tomorrow.”
That philosophy runs through Sol Energy Solutions’ approach. As a proud member of the California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA), the company works alongside peers across the state to ensure renewable development is practical, community-minded, and enduring.
A County, a Resource, a Future
San Bernardino County has always had sunlight in abundance. What it has often lacked is the kind of investment that channels that resource into opportunity.
Sol Energy Solutions is working to change that — one phase at a time. What was once empty desert will soon be transformed into something much greater: a hub of clean energy, a source of good jobs, and a symbol that the region’s long-overlooked potential is finally being recognized and realized.
In that way, this project is not just about electricity. It is about possibility — and the power to build a future that lasts.
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