Solar parks and solar farms
Solar parks are large-scale photovoltaic systems designed primarily for the supply of merchant power into the electricity grid. They are differentiated from most building mounted and other decentralised solar power applications because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or users.
They are sometimes also referred to as solar farms, especially when sited in agricultural areas. Ideally they are located on brown field sites, or where there is no other valuable land use. Even in cultivated areas, a significant proportion of the site can also be devoted to other productive uses, such as grazing or biodiversity.
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[edit] Technology
Most solar parks use ground mounted (sometimes called free-field or stand-alone) arrays.
Solar parks are typically rated in terms of the DC peak capacity of the solar arrays, in megawatt-peak (MWP), or of the nominal maximum AC output in megawatts (MW) or megavolt-amperes (MVA). Most solar parks are developed at a scale of at least 1 MWP and above.
The largest sites under construction have capacities of hundreds of MWP and projects at a scale of 1 GWP are being planned.[1][2]
[edit] History
The first 1 MWP solar park was built by Arco Solar at Lugo near Hesperia, California at the end of 1982,[3] followed in 1984 by a 5.6 MWP installation in Carrizo Plain.[4] Both have since been decommissioned, though Carrizo Plain is the site for several large plants now being constructed[2] or planned. There was then a pause before a substantial volume of solar parks were constructed initially stimulated by the 2004 revisions[5] to the feed-in tariffs in Germany.
Several hundred installations over 1 MWP have been since been installed in Germany, of which more than 50 are over 10 MWP. With its introduction of feed-in tariffs in 2008, Spain became briefly the largest market, with some 60 solar parks over 10MW, but these incentives have since been withdrawn. The USA, Italy, China and India, amongst others, are now also becoming major markets as shown on the list of photovoltaic power stations.
[edit] Economics
With the market structures and prices which have prevailed in the past photovoltaics has not been able to compete directly in the bulk electricity market. It has relied on support mechanisms such as feed-in tariffs, renewable portfolio standards, loan guarantees[6] and tax credits.[7]
However the costs have declined strongly towards grid parity, where it will be a viable source of mainstream power.
[edit] Geography
Because of the economic background, large-scale systems are presently distributed where the support regimes have been the most consistent, or the most advantageous. Of over 250 PV power plants worldwide above 10 MWP, the countries which have the most, in descending order, are: USA, Spain, Germany, Italy, China, the Czech Republic and France[8] .
The first places to reach grid parity will be those with high traditional electricity prices and high levels of solar radiation. The worldwide distribution of solar parks will therefore change markedly as different regions achieve grid parity[9] .
[edit] References
- ^ Olson, Syanne (10 January 2012). "Dubai readies for 1,000MW Solar Park". PV-Tech. http://www.pv-tech.org/news/dubai_readies_for_1000mw_solar_park_first_10mw_phase_expected_by_2013. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ a b "Topaz Solar Farm". Project Overview. First Solar. http://topaz.firstsolar.com/Overview. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ Arnett, J.C. and others. "Design, installation and performance of the ARCO Solar one-megawatt power plant". Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference, Athens, Greece. EC Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1984pvse.conf..314A. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ Sumner, D.D. and others. "Carrisa Plains photovoltaic power plant 1984-7 performance". Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1988., Conference Record of the Twentieth IEEE. IEEE. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=105912&isnumber=3239. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ "The Renewable Energy Sources Act". Bundesgesetzblatt 2004 I No. 40. Bundesumweltministerium (BMU). http://www.bmu.de/files/english/pdf/application/pdf/eeg_en.pdf. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ "Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program". US DOE Loan Guarantee Program Office (LGPO). http://www.doe.gov/sites/prod/files/edg/recovery/documents/Innovative__Technology_Loan_Guarantee_Program.pdf. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ "Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC).". US Department of Energy. http://www.doe.gov/savings/business-energy-investment-tax-credit-itc. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ "The interactive information source on major global photovoltaic power projects". Wiki-Solar.org. http://www.wiki-solar.org/index.html. Retrieved Feb 2012.
- ^ "Solar Photovoltaics competing in the energy sector – On the road to competitiveness". European Photovoltaic Industry Association. http://www.epia.org/publications/photovoltaic-publications-global-market-outlook/solar-photovoltaics-competing-in-the-energy-sector.html. Retrieved Feb 2012.
[edit] External links
- Interactive mapping of worldwide projects over 10MW
- EPIA report on grid parity and competitiveness
- Solar Energy Industry Association - Large Solar Projects in the US
[edit] See also
[edit] Individual solar parks
- Some specific solar power plants over 10MWP by country
- Canada: Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant
- Czech Republic: Vepřek Solar Park, also List of power stations in the Czech Republic
- Germany: Eggebek Solar Park, Erlasee Solar Park, Finsterwalde Solar Park, Köthen Solar Park, Lieberose Photovoltaic Park, Pocking Solar Park, Strasskirchen Solar Park, Waldpolenz Solar Park, also List of power stations in Germany
- India: Charanka Solar Park
- Italy:Montalto di Castro Photovoltaic Power Station, Rovigo Photovoltaic Power Plant
- Romania: Covaci Solar Park
- Spain: Abertura Photovoltaic Power Station, Beneixama photovoltaic power plant, Guadarranque solar power plant, Hoya de Los Vicentes Solar Plant, Lobosillo Solar Park, Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park, SPEX near Merida
- Ukraine: Okhotnykovo Solar Park
- United States: Agua Caliente Solar Project, Antelope Valley Solar Ranch, Blythe Solar Power Project, California Valley Solar Ranch, Desert Sunlight Project, Mesquite Solar project, Topaz Solar Farm
