The World's Largest Solar-Panel Power Plant Opens In Arizona
Somewhere between Yuma and Phoenix, Arizona on a desolate stretch of 9.7 million square meters of land, construction was just completed on the world's largest full-operational solar-power plant. Known as Agua Caliente, the renewable energy plant can generate 290 megawatts at peak capacity - which is enough to power 230 thousand homes and is comparable to the energy output of the average coal-fired power plant. The power will be used by the San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and it's just one more step in California's plan to source a third of its power from renewable sources.
The project is owned by NRG Energy and MidAmerican Solar and was built by First Solar using their thin solar-panels to convert all of that southwestern sunshine into clean energy. Total investment in this project was US$ 1.8 billion, but it was in part funded by a federal loan guarantee to the tune of US$ 967 million and was named Solar Project of the Year by Renewable Energy World. All told, the Agua Caliente project will help keep 324 thousand tons of CO2 emissions from reaching the atmosphere each year, which is essentially like taking 70 thousand cars off of the road. The project also provided 400 jobs during construction.
Work on the project was divided into two phases. The first phase has an installed capacity of 100 megawatts, while the second phase has an installed capacity of 190 megawatts, resulting in a total capacity of 290 megawatts. Construction of phase one started in late 2010 and was completed in early 2012. The first solar PV panels were installed in June 2011. Construction on the second phase of the project was completed in April 2014.
The plant is fitted with more than five million advanced thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV modules, which annually produce approximately 626.2 GWh of clean energy. The PV modules generate electricity without releasing any emissions, waste or water, with minimal noise and cause a low visual impact; they will also have the smallest carbon footprint compared to conventional PV technologies. The panels will be recycled after their useful lifespan.
NRG owns 9 other solar facilities in three different states, but the massive Agua Caliente is the largest. The company also owns the Ivanpah solar thermal project, which uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight to create energy.
The project is owned by NRG Energy and MidAmerican Solar and was built by First Solar using their thin solar-panels to convert all of that southwestern sunshine into clean energy. Total investment in this project was US$ 1.8 billion, but it was in part funded by a federal loan guarantee to the tune of US$ 967 million and was named Solar Project of the Year by Renewable Energy World. All told, the Agua Caliente project will help keep 324 thousand tons of CO2 emissions from reaching the atmosphere each year, which is essentially like taking 70 thousand cars off of the road. The project also provided 400 jobs during construction.
Work on the project was divided into two phases. The first phase has an installed capacity of 100 megawatts, while the second phase has an installed capacity of 190 megawatts, resulting in a total capacity of 290 megawatts. Construction of phase one started in late 2010 and was completed in early 2012. The first solar PV panels were installed in June 2011. Construction on the second phase of the project was completed in April 2014.
The plant is fitted with more than five million advanced thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV modules, which annually produce approximately 626.2 GWh of clean energy. The PV modules generate electricity without releasing any emissions, waste or water, with minimal noise and cause a low visual impact; they will also have the smallest carbon footprint compared to conventional PV technologies. The panels will be recycled after their useful lifespan.
NRG owns 9 other solar facilities in three different states, but the massive Agua Caliente is the largest. The company also owns the Ivanpah solar thermal project, which uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight to create energy.
