Antelope Valley Solar Ranch
| Antelope Valley Solar Ranch | |
|---|---|
  Location of the Antelope Valley Solar Ranch in California | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Antelope Valley, California |
| Coordinates | 34°46′30″N 118°25′30″W / 34.77500°N 118.42500°WCoordinates: 34°46′30″N 118°25′30″W / 34.77500°N 118.42500°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | August 2011 |
| Commission date | April 2014 [1] |
| Construction cost | $1.36 billion[2] |
| Owner(s) | Exelon |
| Solar field | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 2,100 acres (8.50 km2) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3,800,000 |
| Nameplate capacity |
150 MWAC[3] Max: 266 MW, 230 MWAC[4] |
| Average generation | 623 GWh |
The Antelope Valley Solar Ranch 1 (AVSR1) is a 266-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant near Lancaster within Antelope Valley, in the western Mojave Desert, Southern California. It uses cadmium telluride modules made by the US thin-film manufacturer First Solar. The project was developed by First Solar and later bought by Exelon Corporation in 2011. The solar facility was fully commissioned in April 2014.[3][5]
In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a $646 million loan guarantee to support the project's construction.[6] This loan guarantee was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[7] The project is expected to create 350 construction jobs and 20 permanent jobs.[6]
On February 20, 2013, the first 100 MWAC came online.[8] The plant will use approximately 3.8 million solar panels,[5] about 20% of which will be mounted on single-axis tracking racks.[6] When fully operational, the plant is expected to generate enough energy for 75,000 homes, displacing 140,000 tons of CO2.[8] The power generated by AVSR1 is being purchased by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.[6][8]
Production
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 60,933 | 56,929 | 52,593 | 42,933 | 30,309 | 243,697 | |||||||
| 2015 | 37,018 | 44,005 | 64,695 | 58,280 | 62,283 | 57,808 | 61,724 | 61,790 | 53,927 | 47,614 | 43,426 | 36,838 | 629,408 |
| 2016 | 32,935 | 46,208 | 53,436 | 55,097 | 62,375 | 250,051 | |||||||
| Total | 1,123,156 | ||||||||||||
See also
- Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert
- Solar power in California
- List of photovoltaic power stations
- Renewable energy in the United States
- Renewable portfolio standard
References
- ↑ commissioning date, , Energy.gov
- ↑ "First Solar shares jump after Antelope Valley construction OKd". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- 1 2 GreenTechMedia.com, Herman K. Trabish, First Solar Cleared to Resume Construction in Antelope Valley, 19 May 2013
- ↑ GreenTechMedia.com, Herman K. Trabish, Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One: The Solar Power Plant That Could, 5 March 2012
- 1 2 "Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One". Exelon. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 "Exelon (Antelope Valley Solar Ranch)". US Department of Energy (DOE). Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ↑ "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Loans - Award Summary: AV Solar Ranch 1, LLC". Recovery.gov. The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- 1 2 3 "AV Solar Ranch One Solar Power Plant Achieves 100 MW Milestone". First Solar. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ↑ "AV Solar Ranch One, monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
