Agua Caliente Solar Project
| Agua Caliente Solar Project | |
|---|---|
 Location of Agua Caliente Solar Project in Arizona
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Yuma County, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 32°58′N 113°30′W / 32.967°N 113.500°WCoordinates: 32°58′N 113°30′W / 32.967°N 113.500°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 2011 |
| Construction cost | $1.8 billion |
| Solar field | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 2,400 acres (971 ha) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 5,200,000 |
| Nameplate capacity | 290 MWp |
| Capacity factor | 29% |
| Annual gross output | 740 GWh (average of 2014 and 2015 annual generation; 84 MW avg) |
The Agua Caliente Solar Project is a 290 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station, built in Yuma County, Arizona using thin-film technology based CdTe PV panels manufactured by First Solar. The project was completed in April 2014.
39 MW was online as of December 2011 and 100 MW was completed as of April 2012. 200 MW was completed as of July 2012, and 247 MW in August 2012, when the 10th section was completed. The addition of more panels has halted until 2013, with crates of panels covered to protect them.
In August 2011, the Department of Energy finalized a $967 million loan guarantee for the project. The project sponsor, NRG Solar, estimated the photovoltaic generation facility would fund approximately 400 construction jobs and 16 full-time operating jobs, and would become one of the largest plants of its kind in the world when completed. The power produced is being sold to PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) in California in a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.
The Series 3 thin film panels use CdS/CdTe, and are rated from 77 watts to 82.5 watts each, and are mounted at a fixed tilt angle. 20,940 are connected in each array, rated at 1.26 MWAC, and over 400 SMA 720CP inverters are used. Two inverters are connected to each array.
In February 2012, Agua Caliente competed in the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards and won Project of the Year Award.
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