Sharp signs contract for 58 MW (DC) PV power project

LOS ANGELES, USA: Sharp Electronics Corp. has announced a supply agreement for the 58 MWDC (45MWac) Avenal photovoltaic solar power facility. When completed, Avenal will be among the largest of its kind in the world.

Avenal consists of three adjacent projects, all located on agricultural land near the city of Avenal in Kings County, Central California. The Avenal Solar Power Facility was developed by Eurus Energy, a global renewable energy development company and is jointly owned by Eurus and NRG Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy.

All three projects will utilize thin film solar modules from Sharp, a global leader in solar electricity. Ryan Company, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quanta Services, will perform engineering, procurement and construction for the project.

The power produced by Avenal, enough to power approximately 36,000 homes when operating at peak capacity, will be purchased by PG&E under 20-year power purchase agreements approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Construction on the first two projects, Sun City (25 MW DC) and Sand Drag (24 MW DC) will begin immediately and a third, Avenal Park (8 MW DC), is expected to begin construction soon thereafter.

When all three are commissioned in mid 2011, they will displace over 225,000 pounds of NO2, 630,000 pounds of SO2 and 70,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of removing nearly 20,000 cars from the road. It is expected the project will create up to 200 total jobs during construction and up to five permanent jobs.

“This project is one of the largest solar power installations in the world, and one of the largest Sharp has supplied to date. It also marks a significant step forward for California’s renewable energy efforts and we are proud that our cutting edge thin film modules will help deliver clean power to the residents of California,” said Eric Hafter, senior vice president for the Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group.

“Together with Eurus Energy America and NRG Solar, we are turning land that once used photosynthesis to convert the sun’s rays to produce food for our communities into a farm that uses photovoltaics to convert the sun’s rays into clean energy for the same communities.”

The Sharp thin film solar panels utilized for the project feature Sharp’s tandem-junction design that captures a wider part of the solar spectrum. The panels will be manufactured in the Sharp plant in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

This plant is one of the greenest manufacturing sites in the entire world. Thin-film solar cells have a structure in which thin layers of silicon are deposited onto a glass substrate, enabling a dramatic reduction in the amount of silicon used. The production processes are simpler, thereby lowering production costs.

“Eurus Energy America is excited to team with Sharp on this historic solar installation,” said Mark Anderson, president & CEO, Eurus Energy America. “We look forward to growing our portfolio of renewable generation assets and furthering our strong relationship with Sharp, a highly reliable partner with a high quality line of thin film products.”

“With nearly 50 years in the solar electricity business and a commitment to the industry that is supported by one of the world’s most advanced solar panel manufacturing facilities, Sharp stands ready to supply the growing market for large scale solar installations,” said Kozo Takahashi, CEO and chairman, Sharp Electronics.

“Sharp’s expertise and experience will be an important contribution to the success of Avenal in adding zero-emission solar power in California and in helping the state meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard by the end of the decade,” said Tom Doyle, president of NRG Solar.

“As the current owners of the largest PV site in the state, we are looking forward to joining with our partners on Avenal, Eurus, Sharp and Quanta and the state of California to develop a site that adds more than twice that solar capacity to the state’s portfolio.”