Solar ♦ news digest
CIGS thin-film technology, are claimed to have the highest efficiency recorded to date in the field of thin-film modules. With efficiency ratings of up to 14.7 % in relation to aperture area, Q-Cells says it holds the world record for series-produced thin-film modules since 2009.
The performance of
Q.SMART modules receives a further boost from a “light-soaking effect” which can increase output by an average of 2.5 % above nominal output in standard field test conditions. Their capacity to produce high yields even when light is poor or the climate is hot makes
Q.SMART modules suitable for a diverse range of applications, from roof-mounted systems for residential customers to commercial roof-mounted systems and large ground-mounted installations.
Amonix systems power U.S.’s largest CPV solar power plant
The Hatch Solar Energy Centre’s Amonix CPV systems incorporate the world’s most efficient compound semiconductor multijunction solar cells and advanced optics to convert more sunlight into electricity than conventional solar photovoltaic panels
Amonix, a designer and manufacturer of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar systems, is now powering North America’s largest utility-scale CPV power plant, a 5-megawatt facility in Hatch, New Mexico.
The plant is owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the competitive energy subsidiary of NextEra Energy, and North America’s leading generator of renewable energy from wind and sun.
The Hatch Solar Energy Centre generates enough electricity to supply approximately 1,300 homes for El Paso Electric customers per year. The site was built by Blattner Energy, a leading renewable energy contractor in the United States with more than 15,000 operating megawatts to date. El Paso Electric has committed to buying the Centre’s power for the next 25 years from NextEra under a long- term contract.
This new plant has 84 Amonix 60-kilowatt systems, and is now the country’s largest next to the 2-megawatt power plant in Arizona, also powered by Amonix systems. The Centre is expected to offset more than 9,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of planting 3,500 trees every year it operates.
The Hatch Solar Energy Centre’s Amonix CPV systems incorporate the world’s most efficient multijunction solar cells and advanced optics to convert more sunlight into electricity than conventional solar photovoltaic panels. Dual-axis tracking systems maximize energy production throughout the day by allowing the CPV systems to follow the sun.
“The Hatch Solar Energy Centre demonstrates all of solar CPV’s advantages, from its scale to its reliability to the stability of its underlying technology,” said Amonix CEO Brian Robertson. “Hatch has the ideal conditions for solar energy development, and CPV is exactly the right technology to realize its full potential to provide a steady, long-term energy supply without consuming excessive amounts of land and water.”
GE’s solar CdTe panels to energise Colorado
In the past two years, more than 20 solar and wind companies have announced expansions or relocations to the state
Last week, GE announced that it plans to build the nation’s largest photovoltaic panel factory in Aurora, Colorado.
The 200,000 square-foot plant, which will cost $300 million to retrofit and will employ 355 workers, will produce thin-film CdTe photovoltaic panels using technology designed by PrimeStar Solar, a Colorado company GE purchased earlier this year.
When running at full capacity, the plant will make 400 megawatts worth of panels a year, enough to support the power demand of 80,000 homes.
Colorado beat out 10 other states to land the investment, including New York, because of its strong workforce, proximity to one of GE’s existing
November/December 2011
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 201
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