SunPower Corp. says construction has commenced on Boulder Solar, a 100 MW solar power plant located in the Eldorado Valley of Boulder City, Nev. NV Energy has contracted to buy the power generated at the plant under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
Boulder Solar is expected to create approximately 200 jobs during construction. Anticipated to be operational in 2016, the project may generate enough electricity to serve the needs of more than 60,000 homes during daylight hours, based on estimates provided by NV Energy. The project is being constructed on approximately 600 acres that are owned by Boulder City and are being leased to SunPower under a long-term lease agreement.
SunPower is constructing a SunPower Oasis Power Plant system at the site. Oasis is a fully integrated, modular solar power block that is engineered for the rapid deployment of utility-scale solar projects while optimizing land use. The technology includes a robotic solar panel cleaning capability that uses 75% less water than traditional cleaning methods and can help improve system performance by up to 15%.
SunPower acquired the project earlier this year from KOMIPO America Inc., an electric utility company and independent power producer. KOMIPO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Korea Midland Power Co. Ltd. and was the original lead developer for the Boulder Solar project. KOMIPO will participate in the construction and operation of the project.
