Agua Caliente Solar Project
| Agua Caliente Solar Project | |
|---|---|
  Location of Agua Caliente Solar Project in Arizona | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Yuma County, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 32°58′N 113°30′W / 32.967°N 113.500°WCoordinates: 32°58′N 113°30′W / 32.967°N 113.500°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 2011 |
| Construction cost | $1.8 billion |
| Solar field | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 2,400 acres (971 ha) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 5,200,000 |
| Nameplate capacity | 290 MWp |
| Capacity factor | 29% |
| Average generation | 740 GWh (average of 2014 and 2015 annual generation; 84 MW avg) |
The Agua Caliente Solar Project is a 290 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station, built in Yuma County, Arizona using thin-film technology based CdTe PV panels manufactured by First Solar.[1] The project was completed in April 2014.[2][3]
History
39 MW was online as of December 2011 and 100 MW was completed as of April 2012.[4] 200 MW was completed as of July 2012,[5] and 247 MW in August 2012, when the 10th section was completed. The addition of more panels has halted until 2013, with crates of panels covered to protect them.[6]
Project overview
In August 2011, the Department of Energy finalized a $967 million loan guarantee for the project. The project sponsor, NRG Solar, estimates the photovoltaic generation facility will fund approximately 400 construction jobs and 16 full-time operating jobs, and will be one of the largest plants of its kind in the world when completed.[7] The power produced will be sold to PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) in California in a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.[8][9]
The Series 3 thin film panels use CdS/CdTe,[10] and are rated from 77 watts to 82.5 watts each,[11] and are mounted at a fixed tilt angle. 20,940 are connected in each array, rated at 1.26 MWAC, and over 400 SMA 720CP inverters are used. Two inverters are connected to each array.[12]
Award
In February 2012, Agua Caliente competed in the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards and won Project of the Year Award.[9]
Electricity production
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | – | – | 2,830 | 41,750 | 49,640 | 50,440 | 52,650 | 54,140 | 52,830 | 41,780 | 33,535 | 34,138 | 413,733 |
| 2013 | 45,555 | 53,720 | 61,050 | 64,998 | 65,452 | 63,631 | 61,470 | 64,870 | 64,605 | 48,294 | 47,742 | 50,790 | 692,177 |
| 2014 | 50,560 | 66,490 | 69,912 | 74,990 | 73,533 | 71,022 | 67,401 | 63,912 | 60,676 | 60,676 | 55,189 | 36,706 | 741,181 |
| 2015 | 46,007 | 54,670 | 65,495 | 70,829 | 70,829 | 69,880 | 69,307 | 70,319 | 60,023 | 56,974 | 54,110 | 49,378 | 737,821 |
| 2016 | 49,412 | 58,327 | 67,227 | 66,997 | 75,385 | 317,348 | |||||||
| All-Time Total | 2,902,260 | ||||||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ "World's Largest Operational Solar PV Project, Agua Caliente, Achieves 250 Megawatts of Grid-Connected Power" (Press release). Tempe, Arizona: First Solar. September 10, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ↑ http://breakingenergy.com/2014/04/30/worlds-biggest-solar-pv-plant-a-feather-in-does-cap/
- ↑ Cheyney, Tom (October 14, 2011). "Utility-scale with a capital 'U': First Solar's Agua Caliente PV project pushes toward initial power". PVTech.
- ↑ "Arizona project reaches 100MW mark". UPI. 26 April 2012.
- ↑ Katie Fehrenbacher (16 July 2012). "Huge Arizona solar panel farm now 2/3 completed".
- ↑ Martin, Christopher; Doom, Justin (August 30, 2012). "First Solar Stops Installation at Agua Caliente Project". Bloomberg. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Department of Energy Finalizes a $967 Million Loan Guarantee to Support the Agua Caliente Solar Project". Energy.gov. August 5, 2011.
- ↑ "Agua Caliente Solar Project". CleanEnergy Action Project. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- 1 2 "Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards Winners: Project of the Year and Readers' Choice". Renewable Energy World. 17 February 2012.
- ↑ http://www.power-technology.com The world's biggest solar power plants, 29 August 2013
- ↑ http://www.powermag.com/agua-caliente-solar-project-yuma-county-arizona/?pagenum=1
- ↑ Olson, Syanne (March 7, 2012). "SMA tapped to deliver more than 400 inverters for Agua Caliente solar project". PVTech. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Agua Caliente Solar Project, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
