. S . ▁Ban cor p , ▁among ▁others . ▁Among ▁Sol ar City ' s ▁better - known ▁finan cing ▁partners hips ▁was ▁a ▁$ 2 8 0   mill ion ▁fund ▁created ▁with ▁Google ▁to ▁fin ance ▁resident ial ▁solar ▁install ations ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁The ▁Google ▁Fund ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁fund ▁of ▁its ▁kind ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁and ▁Google ' s ▁largest ▁invest ment ▁in ▁clean ▁energy . ▁ ▁G ig af actory ▁ 2 ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Sol ar City ▁announced ▁plans ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁manufact uring ▁facility ▁in ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁coord ination ▁with ▁the ▁S UN Y ▁Poly techn ic ▁Institute ▁after ▁acqu iring ▁S ile vo , ▁a ▁mak er ▁of ▁high - e ffic iency ▁solar ▁modules . ▁The ▁initial ▁manufact uring ▁complex ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁ ▁facility ▁that ▁would ▁cost ▁$ 9 0 0 ▁million ▁and ▁employ ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁workers ▁in ▁Buff alo ▁and ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁state wide . ▁With ▁a ▁planned ▁capacity ▁of ▁one ▁gig aw att ▁of ▁solar ▁pan els ▁ann ually ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁the ▁new ▁plant ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁largest ▁solar ▁plant ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Gr ound bre aking ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁occurred ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁with ▁a ▁target ▁completion ▁date ▁of ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁facility ▁would