Solar start-up SolFocus on Monday said it has signed an agreement in Greece to produce electricity from its concentrated solar arrays.
The installation will produce 1.6 megawatts, enough to power about a town of about 2,500 residents at any given moment. Renewable-energy developer Samaras Group will head the installation, which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2009.
SolFocus' 1100S system uses mirrors to convert 25 percent of sunlight into electricity.
(Credit: SolFocus)SolFocus, formed in 2006, is one of the leading companies in a race to validate concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology for utility use. It already has a handful of customers, including some in Spain.
Concentrated photovoltaic technology takes different forms, but the most common design uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto expensive, high-performance solar cells. Typically, they have mounting systems that track the sun over the course of the day.
By concentrating the light, these arrays squeeze more electricity out of solar cells. SolFocus' 1100S system, which will be used in the Greek power deal, concentrates the light 500 times, allowing it to convert 25 percent of sunlight into electricity.
Concentrated photovoltaic technology is best suited for specific geographies around the equator with the right light. Another technical barrier is dealing with the high degree of heat these systems create.
Analysts say concentrated photovoltaics are expected to be used by utilities for small or midsize power plants, between 10 megawatts and 100 megawatts, to deliver electricity at times of peak demand.
SolFocus, a maker of concentrator photovoltaic systems, has signed a $103 million (80 euro) deal with Empe Solar, a Spanish group that promotes solar energy use.
SolFocus panels, made of mostly aluminum and glass, are 95 percent recyclable.
(Credit: SolFocus)Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems typically use lenses and mirrors to concentrate light on solar cells to maximize the amount of electricity they can generate.
SolFocus plans to install over 10 megawatts of CPV systems across southern Spain for Empe Solar between now and 2010 as part of the deal.
SolFocus has already completed three utility-scale projects in Spain.
The 10-megawatt installation would collectively generate enough energy to supply a town of 40,000 residents, and eliminate 27,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year if used to replace traditional fossil fuel energy generators.
It's the largest deployment of concentrator photovoltaic solar energy systems in Europe so far, according to a joint statement from SolFocus and Empe Solar.
Sunny Spain is to be the recipient of $103 million worth of CPV systems between now and 2010.
(Credit: SolFocus)"Empe Solar seeks only the most innovative solutions to reduce electricity production costs for our customers. SolFocus has proven its technology's value in our region, and we are confident it will enable us to quickly achieve our cost targets for carbon-free energy," Empe Solar partners Eduardo Goicoechea and Sebastian Sagues said in a joint statement.
The other claim to fame SolFocus makes is that its CPV systems themselves, which primarily consist of aluminum and glass components, are kind to the environment since they are 95 percent recyclable.
But SolFocus is not the only company touting good news Monday for solar technology. Cool Earth Solar announced earlier it's rolling out its solar balloon prototypes over the next two weeks.
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