Solar PV is known as being one of the quickest energy sources to deploy to the grid. Despite that speed, there is still some time spent waiting to proceed to each step. If it was a race, solar construction could still be considered a marathon — with a few hurdles thrown on the track.
Arizona energy services company Obodo Energy Partners was nearing completion of its own race when a freak accident moved the finish line. Days before turning over a solar carport project to the customer and utility, a microburst descended upon Tempe, leaving a 10-mile tornado-like path of destruction that included the solar project. Obodo Energy Partners (No. 253 on the 2026 Top Solar Contractors List) had to quickly assess the damage, determine fault and plan a rebuild.
“We had gotten it pretty much all complete. We were just waiting for the final steps to turn it over to the client when this freak storm hit,” said Chris Mejia, partner and chief development officer of Obodo Energy Partners. “No one could remember the last time a storm of this severity did so much damage. The prevailing wisdom was that this doesn’t happen here in Arizona. You don’t really think about being concerned with it or making plans for it.”
A microburst is a column of sinking air that forcefully spreads out, causing extensive damage at the surface. While Arizona does not experience tornadoes or hurricanes, the region’s hot and humid conditions during the summer’s monsoon season can contribute to microburst development. They’re sudden and unpredictable, and the October 2025 microburst that hit Tempe likely included straight-line winds exceeding 100 mph in a five-mile-wide path.
The storm twisted purlins, broke solar panels and damaged security fencing. Foundations and columns survived the storm…