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Salt River Project’s 1 MW Installation Showcases SunPower’s New Technology

Public power utility Salt River Project (SRP) and SunPower Corp. have dedicated a 1 MW solar photovoltaic power plant at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Ariz. The facility is the first commercial deployment of the SunPower C7 Tracker technology, a solar photovoltaic tracking system that concentrates the sun’s power seven times to achieve one of the lowest levelized costs of electricity for solar power plants available today, according to the companies.

SunPower engineered and constructed the plant on the southeast corner of the ASU Polytechnic campus and is currently operating and maintaining it. The plant is expected to produce an amount of energy equal to that needed to serve about 225 SRP customers’ homes and requires minimal water use.

Under a power purchase agreement, SRP is buying the entire output of the solar plant from SunPower. ASU is purchasing the power from SRP for use at its Polytechnic campus under a separate agreement.

The C7 Tracker combines single-­axis tracking technology with rows of parabolic mirrors, reflecting light onto high performing SunPower Maxeon solar cells, with an efficiency of 22.8%, according to SunPower. The plant will require only 172 kW of SunPower solar cells when corresponding to a geometric concentration ratio of seven to one and a power-based ratio of six to one.

“This dynamic project with SunPower enables ASU to move closer to our 2015, 25 MW solar energy generating goal, embrace innovative technologies and facilitate possible education opportunities for our students,” notes David Brixen, ASU’s associate vice president of facilities development and management.

The project will be the third commercial-scale solar facility in the Valley of the Sun region to provide energy for SRP. Others include the 20 MW Copper Crossing facility in Pinal County, which was also designed and built by SunPower. R

 

Apple Hosting
Massive Solar Array

As part of a host of environmental mitigation measures, Apple has completed a 100-acre, 20 MW PV facility at its Maiden, N.C., data center. The company, which first publicly announced the project last year, notes in its recent environmental report that the array - the nation’s largest end-­user-owned, on-site PV installation - is now completed. Its annual production capacity totals 42 million kWh.

Additionally, Apple plans to double its on-site solar capacity with a second 20 MW array. Construction has begun on the second project and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The solar arrays represent part of the company’s energy management strategy at its facilities. Apple notes in its environmental report that it has also obtained 100% renewable energy for several facilities worldwide.

The energy is procured through a mix of on-site projects and renewable energy credit purchases. At least two facilities in addition to the N.C. data center feature rooftop PV arrays ranging from 180 kW to 550 kW in output.

 

DOI Approves Two
Large Solar Projects

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has approved three major renewable energy projects, including two solar projects, in California. In all, the three projects are expected to deliver 1,100 MW.

The 750 MW McCoy solar energy project and the 150 MW Desert Harvest solar farm are both located in California’s Riverside East Solar Energy Zone, an area established by the DOI through the Western Solar Energy Plan as most suitable for solar development.

The McCoy project was proposed by McCoy Solar LLC (a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC). The Desert Harvest project was proposed by EDF Renewable Energy (formerly enXco).

 

Abengoa, BrightSource
To Build 500 MW

Abengoa and BrightSource Energy have signed an agreement to jointly develop, build and operate what the companies say are the world’s two largest solar towers.

As joint partners, Abengoa and BrightSource will work together to permit and finance the 500 MW Palen Solar Electric Generating System. The Palen project consists of two 250 MW units located in Riverside County, Calif., in an area designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a solar energy zone.

As the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Abengoa will build the plants and lead the operation and maintenance of the plants once they are online. BrightSource will provide the solar field technology and plant design. The solar plants are expected to come online in 2016.

 

Advanced Energy
Supplies D.C. Array

Advanced Energy Industries Inc. says its AE 75TX solar inverters have been selected by First Power and Light for a 147 kW solar energy system at the Mary Switzer Building in Washington, D.C. When the project is completed, the building will be the oldest federal building in the District to utilize solar power, Advanced Energy notes. The entire system uses U.S.-manufactured components and is being installed by First Power and Light, a solar installer recently acquired by Mainstream Entertainment.

The installation also features system racking components manufactured by Daetwyler in Huntersville, N.C., and modules manufactured at Motech’s facility in Newark, Del.

 

ReneSola Supplying
Rooftop Project

ReneSola Ltd., a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and wafers, has secured a contract to provide 460 kW of its solar modules to Cummings Properties, a commercial real estate development and property management organization in Massachusetts.

The modules will be used for a rooftop solar system at Cummings Center, a 2 million square-foot corporate campus and retail center in Beverly, Mass. ReneSola will ship 460 kW of its 305 W poly modules to Cummings Properties. Design and construction of the center’s rooftop solar system, as well as the integration of ReneSola’s solar modules, will be performed by Cummings Properties.

 

Companies Complete
1.6 MW Portfolio

Dynamic Energy Solutions LLC and Revolution Energy LLC have completed a 1.6 MW portfolio of solar projects in Massachusetts.

Most recently, the companies completed a 487 kW solar array on the municipal Fairhaven Landfill located in Fairhaven, Mass. Revolution Energy provided a power purchase agreement for this project. Dynamic Energy, along with Blue Sky Power and Heliosage, developed the project, while Revolution Energy financed, owns, operates and maintains the system.

 

Shaner Supplies
SolFocus Plants

Shaner Industries, a Pittsburgh-based company that specializes in the design, engineering and installation of steel foundations, has completed the installation of 125 custom-­designed steel foundations to support SolFocus’ concentrated PV solar systems at five schools in Los Angeles County, Calif.

All construction projects on or near active school properties pose unique challenges, Shaner Industries says. Compared to concrete foundations, steel foundations can be installed faster and more safely, according to the company.

 

SolarCity Installs
1.5 MW For Schools

SolarCity plans to install a 1.5 MW solar power project that will bring renewable energy to eight Barstow (California) Unified School District (BUSD) schools and facilities.

The solar installations are expected to save the district $112,000 in their first year and roughly $5.3 million over the next 20 years, according to SolarCity. They will offset an average of 70% of each of the eight facilities’ electricity needs.

BUSD is also expected to benefit from net-metering provisions that will provide credit for surplus energy sent to the grid.

 

Sol Systems Provides
Tax Equity In N.C.

Sol Systems, a provider of financial services for renewable energy projects, says it has placed $15 million in tax equity into two 2.5 MW North Carolina solar projects on behalf of an unnamed Fortune 100 company.

The financing arrangement marks the Fortune 100 company’s first investment in solar and provides the solar energy industry with a new source of tax equity, Sol Systems says, adding that it was able to arrange both the state and federal tax credit investor for these projects. FLS Energy, a solar integrator and developer, built the two solar energy systems, which are located in eastern North Carolina.

 

REC Solar Installs
PV At Ariz. Schools

REC Solar, a designer and installer of solar energy systems, has completed a total of 3.5 MW of solar installations on 12 Arizona public schools. The systems will provide enough power to reduce the schools’ electricity bills by up to 20%, as well as offer educational opportunities for K-12 students, the company says.

REC Solar worked with the 12 public schools to install solar energy with no upfront costs. The installations are owned and operated by Arizona Public Service as part of the utility’s Solar for Schools Program.

 

Construction Begins
On Airport Install

Construction has begun on a 15 MW solar installation at Indianapolis International Airport (IND). The project, called the IND Solar Farm, represents an investment of approximately $35 million to $40 million and will be the largest airport solar project in North America, according to IND.

Telamon Corp. and Johnson Melloh Solutions are responsible for the design, construction and operation of the new solar installation, which will consist of 41,000 solar modules from General Energy Solutions. The project is expected to enter operation this fall.

 

CAISO Approves
RE Transmission

The California Independent System Operator Corp. (CAISO) has approved five new transmission projects that are specifically intended to meet California’s renewable energy goals.

The projects were part of the 2012-2013 transmission plan approved by the CAISO board. The plan also identified the need for 36 projects that support regional and national reliability standards. According to CAISO, the 41 transmission projects approved in the plan - which are estimated to cost approximately $1.7 billion - are needed to maintain the reliability of the transmission system and allow the state to meet its 33% by 2020 renewable portfolio standard.

The transmission plan also examines infrastructure requirements for the grid in the event that one or both nuclear power plants were to shut down.

 

KSK, MiaSolé
Commission 11.6 MW

KSK Energy Ventures, an India-based power development and generation company, and MiaSolé, a manufacturer of copper indium gallium selenide thin-film photovoltaic solar panels and system solutions, have commissioned an 11.6 MW solar photovoltaic project in Rajasthan, India.

The project was built under India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The U.S. Export-Import Bank will provide $9 million of debt financing for the project. The financing is expected to support exports from MiaSolé’s California manufacturing center.

 

Blue Earth Plans
3 MW In Hawaii

Blue Earth Inc., a renewable energy and energy efficiency services company, says its wholly owned subsidiary Xnergy Inc. has entered into a binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an unspecified renewable energy company to construct approximately 3 MW of solar PV projects in Hawaii.

Under the MOU, Xnergy will provide engineering support and procurement for the majority of the equipment, as well as complete construction services. The revenue for the company is expected to be approximately $4.5 million.

 

Blue Oak Energy
Completes 4.2 MW

Blue Oak Energy, a commercial and utility photovoltaic system engineering and construction company, has completed the delivery of a 4.2 MW utility-scale solar power generation facility in Gridley, Calif.

The electricity generated by the facility will be directed to two members of the Northern California Power Agency through separate energy meters: the City of Gridley and the Bay Area Rapid Transit. The project was developed by LightBeam Energy Inc. and features 17,584 solar panels manufactured by Trina Solar.

 

8minutenergy, saferay
Sign Solar PPA

8minutenergy Renewables LLC and saferay Inc. have signed a 20-year contract to sell 20 MW of solar energy from their Redcrest solar project in Kern County, Calif., to Southern California Edison (SCE). The power purchase agreement (PPA) was conducted with 67RK 8ME LLC, a subsidiary of Folsom, Calif.-based 8minutenergy Renewables and an independent solar PV developer.

The Redcrest project is a utility-scale solar generation facility sited on 160 acres of low-productivity farmland. Construction is projected to begin in 2014, with the site expected to be operational and delivering renewable energy by mid-2015, according to the companies. The PPA was awarded under SCE’s competitive reverse-auction process.

 

SolarReserve Completes
Molten Salt Receiver

SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of large-scale solar power projects, says it has reached a new milestone in the construction of its 110 MW Crescent Dunes solar project near Tonopah, Nev.

The company has completed the assembly of the molten salt receiver panels that sit on top of the 540-foot solar power tower for the concentrating solar power plant. More than 450 construction workers are currently on-site, adds Kevin Smith, CEO of SolarReserve.

The project closed financing and initiated construction in September 2011 and is scheduled to complete construction and start plant commissioning at the end of 2013. Electricity production is expected to begin by the end of the year. A 25-year power purchase agreement is in place with Nevada-based NV Energy.

 

Black & Veatch Building
Gila Bend Project

Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) has selected Black & Veatch to design and build the 32 MW Gila Bend solar power plant, which is being developed as part of APS’ AZ Sun program.

Construction will begin in October, with project completion expected in June 2014. Located on 400 acres in Gila Bend, Ariz., the project will feature more than 170,000 single-axis tracker polycrystalline modules. It will be the seventh AZ Sun facility to break ground. R