301 Moved Permanently

---

nginx

Weather Stations Help Imperial Valley Solar 1 Optimize Output

The 265 MW Imperial Valley Solar 1 - also known as Mount Signal Solar - is a showcase of solar technologies, including thin-film photovoltaic modules from First Solar and trackers from Array Technologies. The facility is also receiving weather stations that are expected to calculate its operating efficiency and help operators better meet grid demands.

Folsom, Calif.-based Trimark Associates has been contracted to provide the monitoring and communications functions for the plant. The company has selected Lufft USA to supply the weather stations that will gather the required real-time meteorological data.

Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Lufft USA is the North American operation of G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH of Fellbach, Germany. Ann Pattison, president of Lufft USA, says solar power facilities represent a growing area of the weather station manufacturer. Traditionally, Lufft weather stations have been used in the transportation sectors to keep track of conditions along roads and rail lines and at airports.

“Weather data is nice to have,” Pattison says. “State regulations in California say that weather stations must be a part of large solar projects in order to monitor the health and efficiency of the facility.”

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), an operator of the state’s electricity grid, requires all grid-connected solar resources in California generating more than 1 MW of power to provide at least one meteorological station. As a solar project generating over 200 MW of power, Imperial Valley Solar 1 required two meteorological stations to monitor ambient temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, barometric temperature, solar irradiance, and back panel temperature.

The purpose of the regulations, Pattison says, is to enable solar plant operators to report the precise conditions under which electricity is being produced.

Accurate, real-time weather monitoring and forecasting enables public utilities such as San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), the utility receiving the electricity from Imperial Valley, to more accurately predict the availability of energy on the grid from renewable sources to avoid power shortages and ensure more efficient management of electricity and other energy resources.

The Lufft WS500-UMB compact weather station selected for Imperial Valley Solar 1 measures air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction and wind speed. Relative humidity is measured by means of a capacitive sensor element. A negative temperature coefficient element is used to measure air temperature. An ultrasonic sensor takes wind measurements. In addition, Lufft has integrated a Kipp & Zonen solar radiation sensor into the unit to measure irradiance.

“A unique aspect of Imperial Valley Solar 1 is that the site network was not built to accommodate metrological stations,” says Robert Hinchman, regional director of Trimark Associates, in a statement. “Instead of trenching and installing fiber-optic cable between the control room and the stations, we recommended that the client connect the instruments with [Trimark’s] Remote Intelligent Gateway via a secure radio frequency. This approach allows us to transmit to CAISO the data they require on generation and weather conditions while minimizing construction costs.”

Silver Ridge Power is developing Imperial Valley Solar 1, with Abengoa providing engineering, procurement and construction services. The storied project has had a number of owners and incarnations over the years. SDG&E will buy the electricity from the plant under a 25-year power purchase agreement. Last October, Google invested $103 million in the project, which is scheduled to go online this year. S

- Michael Puttré

 

Hecate Employes String Inverters On 1 MW Project

In April 2013, Georgia Power awarded Hecate Energy a contract to develop a utility photovoltaic solar project under its Advanced Solar Initiative. The site of Hecate’s bid was a rural location in Talbot County, near the town of Woodland, Ga. The project covers eight acres and will connect to the electricity grid. Hecate signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Georgia Power in May.

ReneSola Ltd. has delivered 3,280 of its 1,000 V Virtus II PV modules for the project. GameChange Racking is providing the fixed-tilt ground mounts. Hecate Energy will ground mount 46 SolarMax MT A string inverters, which have output power of 18 kW and input of up to 1,000 V.

Preston Schultz, manager of development at Hecate Energy, says he has been interested in applying string inverter technology for larger installations. The attraction is the potential for higher energy yields and the ability to swap out individual inverters in the field in the case of failure, rather than having to take a central inverter offline. He says string inverters also enable more precise inverter-level monitoring.

“I’ve been studying the concept for about three years,” Schultz says, adding the main challenge was getting a financier comfortable with the idea of using string inverters where central inverters were more common. “I just had to wait for the right project and technology partner to come along.”

Schultz says the installed cost of string inverters is higher than for comparable central inverter capacity, but he is confident the plant will make up the difference in higher yields. The firm providing engineering, procurement and construction services, Georgia-based Radiance Solar LLC, was also eager to incorporate string inverters into a large project.

“The magic number is creeping up in terms of distributed versus central inverters,” says Allan Beale, general manager of SolarMax USA. “It’s almost to the point where 2 MW is an easy choice. I think we’re going to see a lot of distributed systems going in for 2014.” - Michael Puttré

 

Solar Star Starts
Delivering Energy

MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp. have announced that the first portion of the 579 MW Solar Star development - two projects co-located in Kern and Los Angeles counties in California - was successfully synchronized and is now delivering energy to the California grid.

The Solar Star projects are owned by Phoenix-based MidAmerican Solar. SunPower, based in San Jose, Calif., designed and is constructing the projects and will provide operations and maintenance services. Construction on the projects began in early 2013 and is expected to be complete by year-end 2015, the companies say.

When complete, the 579 MW Solar Star projects are expected to have more than 1.7 million panels installed, covering 3,230 acres. Southern California Edison will purchase electricity from the projects under two long-term power purchase contracts.

 

EDF Closes On Mass.
Solar Project

EDF Renewable Energy has closed a membership interest purchase and sale agreement with Urban Green Technologies LLC, a utility-scale solar developer, on the 5.86 MW Lancaster solar project in Massachusetts. EDF says construction has started on the project, which is located on approximately 26 acres of privately owned land at the former Shirley Airport, 50 miles northwest of Boston.

The power generated will be delivered to the Town of Billerica under a long-term power purchase agreement. EDF will develop, own and operate the Lancaster solar project, with commercial operation expected in the spring. EDF has also signed up M+W U.S. Inc. to manage engineering, procurement and construction. Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. has been subcontracted to build the project.

 

PSEG Acquires Two
Power Plants

Canadian Solar Inc. has sold two utility-scale solar power plants in Shasta County, Calif., totaling 4.4 MW, to PSEG Solar Source. The plants have a 20-year off-taking agreement with New Jersey-based utility Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (PSE&G), the parent company of PSEG Solar Source.

The solar installations, together called the PSEG Shasta Solar Farm, are being built by Blue Oak Energy Inc., which will also provide operations and maintenance services after completion. Ignite Solar, a Texas-based PV development company, was the initial developer of what was originally called the Fall River Mills project. The PSEG Shasta Solar Farm is expected to include approximately 14,592 Canadian Solar CS6X modules.

 

Array Installs Trackers At Two PV Plants

Array Technologies has completed installation of its DuraTract HZ single-axis tracking systems at two solar plants near Escondido, Calif. The projects were developed by Golden Concord Holdings Ltd. and built by Blattner Energy.

The 9.3 MW Ramona solar plant and 10.2 MW Valley Center plant incorporate 300 W and 285 W Trina solar PV modules and inverters from Advanced Energy. According to Array Technologies, the sites have 1000 V and 600 V sections, requiring different tracking system configurations in constrained areas with irregular property lines.

Both sites will provide power for San Diego Gas & Electric under power purchase agreements.

 

Solar Plants In Georgia Enter Service

Invenergy Clean Power LLC says its recently completed Lakeland Solar Farms in Georgia have entered commercial operation. The project consists of two 1 MW solar photovoltaic facilities in Lanier County incorporating more than 6,800 PV modules.

Evergreen Solar Services was the general contractor for the project. Blue Oak Energy Inc. provided engineering services. Invenergy is providing operations and maintenance services through an affiliate. Output from the plants is going to Georgia Power under long-term power purchase agreements.

 

Hawaiian Solar Park Comes Online

The 5 MW Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park has opened and will begin generating electricity for Hawaiian Electric customers on Oahu.

Hunt Companies and Scatec Solar North America initiated the plant’s development in 2009. Hanwha Q Cells USA acquired the project in 2012, finalized development, facilitated financing and solar module supply, and will now operate the facility for a 20-year period, with project financing provided by PNC Bank.

The facility comprises 21,000 photovoltaic panels and is expected to generate around 9 million kWh of electricity per year - bringing the state one step closer to meeting its target to produce 40% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

 

Somers Solar Center In Connecticut Opens

Energy provider Dominion has begun commercial operations at its Somers Solar Center in Somers, Conn.

The center was built by Prime Solutions Inc., a Connecticut contractor, and comprises 23,150 Kyocera solar panels that generate roughly 5 MW. Array Technologies supplied its trackers for the project.

Dominion says it will sell the output of the solar center to Connecticut Light & Power under a fixed power purchase agreement.

 

Mississippi Mills Solar Power Plant Sold

Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. has completed the sale of the 10 MW Mississippi Mills solar power plant to TransCanada Corp.

Canadian Solar Solutions will provide engineering, procurement and construction services for the Mississippi Mills plant, located in eastern Ontario. The project represents the fourth of nine solar power plants - totaling 86 MW - that Canadian Solar has agreed to build and sell to TransCanada.

 

OCI Solar Begins 39 MW Solar Farm

OCI Solar Power has broken ground on the 39 MW Alamo 4 solar facility in Brackettville, Texas.

Alamo 4 will feature more than 150,000 solar panels and cover 600 acres of privately owned land. Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction is building Alamo 4. When completed later this year, the power generated will be supplied to CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipal utility.

Last year, OCI Solar Power completed its 41 MW Alamo 1 project and began construction on a 4.4 MW site, Alamo 2. Both are located in San Antonio.

 

Canadian Solar Supplies N.C. Projects

Canadian Solar Inc. will supply 84,480 of its CS6X 300 W solar modules to National Renewable Energy Corp. for four utility-scale solar projects totaling 25.3 MW in North Carolina. The installations consist of four separate ground-mount projects - three in Wayne County and one in Duplin County.

The Wayne Solar I plant in Mount Olive and Wayne Solar II and III plants in Goldsboro each will have a capacity of 6.48 MW and an expected output of 9.75 GWh of electricity per year. The 5.83 MW Duplin Solar I, located in Kenansville, is expected to have an annual output of 8.78 GWh of electricity.

 

Ten K Completes Mass. Municipal Solar Project

Ten K Energy has completed a 4 MW solar power project in Ashburnham, Mass.

The ground-mounted installation was developed by Ten K Energy, designed and constructed by groSolar, and is owned by a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Services. A portion of the solar farm uses photovoltaic solar modules manufactured in Minnesota by Ten K Solar.

Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant is purchasing the power generated from the project under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

 

Cenergy Begins 1.1 MW System For Vineyard

Cenergy Power has begun construction of a 1.13 MW solar PV system for Sundale Vineyards in Tulare, Calif., for the grape grower’s cold storage facility.

Cenergy Power is in charge of the engineering and installation of the large solar system, which is currently being constructed over four acres of ground area directly south of Sundale’s cold storage and packing plants.

Cenergy expects the system to produce 1.7 million kWh of electricity, with an estimated electricity bill offset of 91% for the cold storage facility.

 

Castillium To Get QBotix Tracking Systems

California-based robotic tracker maker QBotix has signed a supply contract with U.K.-based solar developer Castillium wherein the former will provide its Robotic Tracking System (RTS) for use in the latter’s pipeline of more than 200 MW of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic projects.

QBotix develops mobile robots for rail-based tracking systems at ground-mounted solar power plants. The current contract calls for the company to supply RTS units to support 45 MW of capacity. QBotix and Castillium expect the first projects to begin construction in the middle of the year.

Matt Lugar, QBotix’s vice president of sales & marketing, says his company’s technology complements Castillium’s efforts to optimize solar production on irregular parcels at high latitudes.

 

Major Energy Builds First Solar Plant

New York-based Major Energy has completed a 2.5 MW solar photovoltaic array in Palmer, Mass., with the energy being sold to the University of Massachusetts under a 30-year power purchase agreement.

The ground-mounted system, which was interconnected with National Grid last December, was built on 24 acres and consists of 8,500 300-W solar panels spread over 772 strings. The system is expected to produce 3.25 GWh of electricity per year.

 

Ameren To Build 5.7 MW Solar Facility

Ameren Missouri has launched an effort to build a 5.7 MW solar power facility in O’Fallon, Mo., funded by private investors. The utility expects to have the project online by December.

The O’Fallon Renewable Energy Center will feature more than 19,000 photovoltaic panels and will be built adjacent to Ameren Missouri’s Belleau substation on approximately 19 acres owned by the utility.

In 2010, Ameren installed a 100 kW rooftop PV system at its St. Louis headquarters, primarily to acquire performance data.

 

McElroy Adds Solar To Roof Refit

McElroy Metal has completed a 500 kW solar project as part of a roof retrofit at its manufacturing facility in Peachtree City, Ga. Inovateus Solar LLC provided installation services on the project, which is part of the Medium Scale Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative program.

A total of 1,960 solar panels were installed on the plant roof and on a canopy in the parking lot. The PV array became operational in late December. McElroy says the power generated will surpass its manufacturing facility’s energy consumption. The energy generated will not directly power the facility but will be sold back to Georgia Power.

Through its partnership with Inovateus Solar, McElroy Metal offers roofing panels that serve as a substrate for solar panels.

 

Suniva Supplies Modules For Mexico Project

Georgia-based Suniva Inc. has shipped 1.1 MW of its Optimus photovoltaic modules for use in an aircraft maintenance facility in Queretaro, Mexico.

The commercial solar project, owned by Delta TechOps - a joint venture of Delta Air Lines and Grupo Aeromexico - will consist of a modular solar parking canopy system at Aeropuerto Intercontinental de Queretaro. Upon completion, the 3,240 Suniva solar modules are expected to generate approximately 1.4 GWh of solar electricity annually.

The Suniva canopy system will be designed by Intragreen, a subsidiary of Queretaro-based Grupo Metal Intra (GMI). The canopy system will incorporate equipment from Cantsink Manufacturing Inc., Shoals Technologies Group and SMA Solar Technology as part of an Export Import Bank-financed export credit project for GMI.

Intragreen is providing the engineering, procurement and construction services, and Suniva is performing systems design and commissioning support. The project is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of the year.

 

Starwood Capital Closes Energy Fund

Starwood Capital Group Global LLC has closed its Starwood Energy Infrastructure Fund II (SEIF II) with total capital commitments of $983 million to invest in solar, wind, natural gas, and other power generation and high-voltage transmission assets, primarily in North America.

Starwood Capital says SEIF II has attracted commitments from a wide range of investors, including sovereign funds, pension plans, funds of funds, insurance companies and other institutional investors. The company says the new fund will follow the middle-market, value-add focus of its predecessor fund, Starwood Energy Infrastructure Fund LP (SEIF I), which closed in 2008.

 

Conergy Starts Commercial Solar Financing

Conergy has launched its Conergy Fund I program to provide financing to large-scale solar construction projects in the U.S.

With an initial target volume of $100 million and backing by Conergy’s main investor, Kawa Capital Management, the Conergy Fund I provides financing for solar power plants and qualified commercial projects with renewable energy capabilities between 500 kW and 25 MW. Conergy says the fund is intended to streamline the financing process by managing the financial analysis, credit rating, administration and finance, billing, and collection of power purchase agreements on behalf of the project.

Through the fund, Conergy and its partners also aim to provide project development; engineering, procurement and construction services; and operations and maintenance management.

Kawa Capital Management acquired Conergy in August 2013.

 

ReneSola Supplies 420 MW Project In Japan

ReneSola Ltd. has been awarded a contract to supply 420 MW of its Virtus II polycrystalline photovoltaic panels to a solar developer in Japan.

The PV panels will be installed in at least 10 ground-mounted power plants to provide residential power in mountainous regions. ReneSola expects to complete delivery by December 2015.

 

Abengoa To Develop CSP Plant In Chile

Abengoa has been selected by the Ministry of Energy of the Chilean Government and Corporacion de Fomento de la Produccion to develop a 110 MW concentrating solar plant (CSP) in Chile.

The solar plant, which will use molten salt tower technology, will have a thermal energy storage system enabling it to generate electricity for up to 17.5 hours without direct solar radiation, according to Abengoa.

As part of this tender, the project will receive direct subsidies from the Chilean government and the European Union, as well as financing from the Inter-American Development Bank, KFW Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau, the Clean Technology Fund and Canadian Fund.

The project will be located in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile. Construction of the project is due to start in the second half of this year.

 

Trina To Develop 1 GW Project In China

Trina Solar Ltd. has signed an investment framework agreement with the local government authority of Turpan Prefecture in China’s Xinjiang region to develop a 1 GW ground-mounted solar power plant project.

Under the agreement, the solar power plants totaling 1 GW are scheduled to be built in multiple phases over four years beginning this year. The first two phases of the project - with installed capacity of 300 MW - are scheduled to be completed and connected to the grid by the end of 2014, subject to receipt of the required approvals.

Upon receiving approval for phase one, Trina Solar will also invest in the construction of a photovoltaic module production facility in the local area to supply modules to the solar power plants.

 

Ingeteam Connects 12 PV Plants In France

Spain-based Ingeteam has supplied its inverters for 12 photovoltaic plants in France, with a total power output of 86 MW. These plants are located in the southern part of the country and in the regions of Aquitaine and central Pyrenees.

The company expanded its manufacturing operations in France last year in support of these and other PV and wind power projects.

 

Hanwha Supplies
Modules To Ikaros Solar

Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. is supplying 11.5 MW of its 72-cell HSL-72 solar modules to Ikaros Solar Belgium NV for use in a solar park in Norfolk county in the U.K. Delivery of the modules is expected to be completed this month.

Ikaros intends to connect the project to the grid by the end of March. The facility will include 38,334 solar modules.

 

Martifer Completes 3.5 MW System In Belgium

Portugal-based Martifer Solar has completed the construction of a 3.5 MW PV system on the roof of the Canal Logistics building in Brussels, Belgium.

The project, which was completed for Orka, comprises 14,220 modules installed on fixed structures and will have a production capacity of 3.15 GWh of electricity per year.

Martifer Solar was responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction and will also be in charge of providing the operations and maintenance services.

 

China Sunergy Sells
5 MW U.K. Project

China Sunergy Co. Ltd. has completed the sale of a 5 MW solar farm project to U.K.-based solar energy generator Lightsource Renewable Energy Ltd. The project, located in Cornwall, was connected to the grid at the end of March 2013.

According to China Sunergy, the project was completed on land that has traditionally been farmed with a rotation of cattle and crops. The area used for energy generation covers 10% of the farm area, and income from the project will provide the farm owners with supplementary income. The agricultural output from the farm is expected to remain similar to its pre-development state.

In November 2012, China Sunergy launched investments in two U.K. solar farms, each with an installed capacity of 5 MW. The company says the sale of this first project marks a major milestone in its downstream business. The second project is scheduled to be completed this year. S