24 August 2011
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. today announced that it has been selected by SunPeak Solar, LLC to supply 28.7 megawatts (MW) direct current (DC) of solar panels for a 23MW alternating current (AC) solar power plant in Niland, California.
SunPeak Solar's subsidiary Imperial Valley Solar Company 1, LLC will oversee the project's construction including the installation of about 100,000 units of Suntech's 285W/290W Vd-Series modules with SuperPoly silicon processing technology.
The SuperPoly technology produces quality silicon ingots and wafers using modified multicrystalline silicon casting equipment that improves module performance by as much as 10%. The 72-cell Vd-Series module comes with Suntech's 25-year power output warranty—including 0/+5% positive power tolerance—that warrants 6.7% more power than the standard industry warranty. The product meets UL1703, IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 standards.
Constructed on a 123-acre lot located adjacent to the Imperial Irrigation District's (IID) Niland electric substation and natural gas turbine facilities, the solar power plant will generate enough energy to power approximately 14,000 homes within the utility's service area in Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Diego counties. The project will support IID's plan to comply with the California Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires that electricity service providers meet 33% of retail electricity sales with renewable sources by the end of 2020.
The solar power plant will also help IID meet daily peak electricity demands, as last year IID reached its highest peak demand ever of 1,004MW. The solar project will potentially provide for approximately 2.29% of the utility's peak demand.
The North American Development Bank (NADB) will provide a $77.4 million (USD) credit facility to support the project. To date, NADB has helped to finance 150 infrastructure projects worth more than $3.26 billion (USD), benefiting an estimated 13 million people throughout the US-Mexico border region.
