Mount Signal Solar

Mount Signal Solar
Location of Mount Signal Solar in California
Country United States
Location Calexico, Imperial County, California
Coordinates 32°40′24″N 115°38′23″W / 32.67333°N 115.63972°W / 32.67333; -115.63972Coordinates: 32°40′24″N 115°38′23″W / 32.67333°N 115.63972°W / 32.67333; -115.63972
Status Operational
Commission date May 2014
Construction cost $365 million
Operator(s) TerraForm Power
Solar farm
Type Flat-panel PV
Site area 801 hectares (1,980 acres)
Power generation
Units operational ~3,000,000
Nameplate capacity 265.7 MWp, 206 MWAC

Mount Signal Solar is a 265.7-megawatt (MWp) photovoltaic power station in the city of Calexico, Imperial County, California, near the Mexican border. The facility was developed and constructed within sixteen months by 8minutenergy Renewables (based out of Folsom, California) and Abengoa, the Spanish multinational company. 8minutenergy was responsible for the land, entitlements and PPA, while Abengoa was responsible for transmission. At the time of completion, it was the world's largest solar project using single-axis trackers to follow the path of the sun.[1]

Owner of the plant was the global solar power company Silver Ridge Power, formerly known as AES Solar.[2] In 2014, SunEdison acquired 50% interest of Silver Ridge Power.[3] Mount Signal Solar in now part of the company TerraForm Power, Inc, a yield co that holds SunEdison's portfolio of 808 MW of operating solar PV projects across the world. In July 2014, TerraForm Power went public.[4]

Mount Signal Solar is one of the world's largest PV solar farms. It uses more than three million solar modules, covers an area of 801 hectares, cost about $365 million, and is expected to generate enough solar power to supply 72,000 households in San Diego and its surrounding area.

A 25-year power purchase agreement has been signed with San Diego Gas & Electric to purchase the plant's power output. It is planned to expand the solar farm in two more phases and to increase its capacity to unprecedented 800 MW (600 MWAC). The construction has been supported by several environmental groups, as the power station was built on low productivity farmland.[5]

The Mount Signal Solar project, was formerly known as Imperial Valley Solar 1 (IVS1)

In 2014, 8minutenergy closed two further PPAs with Southern California Edison (SCE) for 150MW and 250MW. With a total of 600MWac / ~800MWdc the Mount Signal project is one of the world’s largest solar PV power plants.

See also

References

  1. "Mount Signal Solar Is Online: World's Largest Single Axis Solar PV Project". SustainableBusiness.com. 23 May 2015.
  2. "Abengoa completes the construction of the world’s largest single-axis photovoltaic plant". http://www.abengoa.com/. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  3. "SunEdison, Inc. Analyst Rating Update". NewsWatchInternational.com. 9 June 2015.
  4. "SunEdison's Yieldco Goes Public". SustainableBusiness.com. 29 July 2014.
  5. "Mount Signal Solar Power Plant, Imperial County, California, United States of America". http://www.power-technology.com/. 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015. External link in |website= (help)

External links

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