Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA Inc. and Perpetual Power have completed four solar-powered deep-water wells at Limoneira Co.'s Ducor Ranch. The four 250 kW arrays include single-axis tracking systems that are expected to increase power output of each array by 15% by maximizing the amount of sunlight collected by the panels, the companies note.
When operating at full capacity, the 6,400 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels can generate 1 MW of AC energy for the Limoneira Co., which grows and processes lemons, avocados, oranges, specialty citrus, pistachios and cherries on its orchards in Santa Paula, Calif. Limoneira's solar electric system is expected to produce 2,300,000 kWh of electricity annually.
This new system complements Limoneira's existing 1 MW solar orchard installed in October 2008, supplying the company with a total of 2 MW of solar power.
SOURCES: Perpetual Power, Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics
