Every minute, enough energy from the sun hits the earth’s surface to power the planet for an entire year.

Hoping to channel some of that energy and convert it into electricity to power Massachusetts homes and businesses, former Army captains Daniel Leary and Will Thompson in 2006 established Nexamp, Inc. The North Andover company has grown to include offices in Boston, Hartford, and Providence with 35 employees.

Considered a leading solar power producer, Nexamp delivers integrated solutions, from project development and financing through construction and asset management. The company started out installing solar panels on homes, then grew to include commercial clients and finally evolved into a developer of utility-scale solar projects, including the Westford Solar Park, New England’s largest privately owned solar energy facility.

“We are involved in all aspects of the solar industry,” said Thompson, noting that the company has built dozens of arrays in Massachusetts, having a combined capacity of nearly 20 megawatts.

Massachusetts spends about $22 billion annually on energy, of which about $18 billion leaves the state. Renewable projects offer the opportunity to reduce this trend, creating local jobs while curbing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy security, and lowering long-term energy costs, according to Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia.

In 2010, Nexamp was awarded more than $20 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build a total of 4.5 megawatts of power capacity on 13 public water and waste water treatment facilities across Massachusetts, including the Chelmsford Crooked Spring Water Treatment Facility and the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District in North Andover. It was the largest government contract awarded for a solar energy project.