Oct 28 2009
Unique, Preconfigured Velocity MWTM System Delivers Efficient, One-Megawatt Plants for Rapid Installation; Reduces Utilities’ Peak Load Costs, Meets Renewable Energy Standards
SOLON Corporation, the largest crystalline silicon solar manufacturer in the U.S. and a fully owned subsidiary of SOLON SE, today unveiled the SOLON Velocity MWTM Solar System to provide electric utilities a faster, more cost effective way to integrate reliable solar power into clean energy programs. The SOLON Velocity MW Solar System is a first of its kind, providing preconfigured, one-megawatt modular solar fields, which can quickly scale to capacity in as fast as four months.
Emerging polices such as renewable portfolio standards and renewable energy credits are driving utility companies to pursue solar projects for clean energy generation. The SOLON Velocity MW System was engineered with utilities in mind, providing a streamlined concept that eliminates most of the time, cost and performance risks currently associated with integrating solar. SOLON created the Velocity MW System by leveraging its experience designing and implementing turnkey solutions to U.S. utilities such as Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) to help them improve peak load demand and meet their renewable energy goals.
“Tucson Electric Power is committed to developing innovative strategies to expand the use of solar power in our community, and SOLON has been a valuable partner in that effort,” said Denise Richerson-Smith, TEP’s Director of Renewable and Conservation Programs. TEP’s proposed Bright Tucson Community Solar program would give customers an opportunity to purchase their own shares of the solar energy generated by a new 1.6-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic array developed by SOLON. “SOLON is helping us provide a cost-effective solar solution for renters, low-income residents and others who prefer an alternative to rooftop systems. We hope our work with SOLON to quickly roll out an efficient, turnkey solar power plant will encourage other utilities across the country to seek similar solutions.”
The Velocity MW Solar System is packaged in compact, one-megawatt clusters that are standardized to reduce the number of system components with a proportional reduction in field installation labor. The Velocity MW preconfigured designs help accelerate plant permitting and site development, which can stall a project for months or even years. As the first turnkey solar plant designed to truly optimize system technologies, the Velocity MW System also offers a centralized, collocated power conversion for the inverter and step up transformer, which enables significantly faster field assembly and higher performance than competitive solutions.
Globally recognized for the quality and reliability of its module and component technology, SOLON continues to underscore its reputation by including its new 375 watt panel in the Velocity MW System. SOLON’s 375 watt panel is the largest monocrystalline module on the market, cutting down on the total number of modules needed in the field, improving energy yields up to 25 percent and providing low levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for utility-scale systems. As with all of SOLON’s photovoltaic technology, the new modules are being manufactured in the U.S., at the company’s plant in Tucson, Ariz.
“As we developed the SOLON Velocity MW System, we thought a lot about the ways in which design and engineering can benefit utility scale solar installation,” said Olaf Koester, president and CEO at SOLON Corporation. “Utilities currently face risks when it comes to rolling out solar—the risk of getting it running in a timely manner, the risk of it underperforming or the risk of the associated costs becoming too large to bear. We address these risks head on with our Velocity MW System, delivering a breakthrough design to fast, reliable solar energy.”
Source: http://www.solon.com/cw/en/