FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2012 Photovoltaic Projects of Distinction Award Presented to Arizona Western College and PPA Partners for their landmark Five-Megawatt Multi-Technology Solar Installation and Program.

San Jose, California, March 21, 2012 –The 5MW multi-technology solar installation at Arizona Western College (AWC) in Yuma, AZ was recognized Wednesday morning by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) as one of the three most unique photovoltaic projects of  2012.  The announcement and ceremony took place at PV America’s annual conference in San Jose, CA.

This system is composed of five one-megawatt sites across the campus, and will offset nearly 100% of the campus’s daytime electricity, while saving the College approximately $62 Million over the lifetime of the contract.

“This prestigious award shows what is possible on our nations Community College Campuses. Having our project recognized with this award proves what a resource our Community Colleges truly are. When complete the AWC Solar Program will provide opportunities for community involvement, valuable research, data and curriculum support for the School and for Arizona. Furthermore, additional incubation sites that new and existing technologies can access will be available for them to measure their performance under Yuma and Arizona’s amazing Solar Resource.” said Bruce Mercy CEO of PPA Partners after the award ceremony.

“These are exciting times for the U.S. solar industry and the recipients of these awards exemplify energy innovation at its best,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. More than 84 projects were evaluated by a panel of independent judges, determining the uniqueness and collective benefit to the community. Judges also looked for innovative use of policy and financing to enhance the project’s impact, according to SEPA and SEIA.

The project was financed and will be owned throughout the 30 year contract by Mainstreet Power, and was constructed by Rosendin Electric.

The installation was facilitated by the APS Renewable Energy Incentive Program, which offers financial incentives to residential and commercial customers.  The Program is funded by APS customers and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

The technologies include CPV panels from SolFocus and GreenVolts, Thin Film panels from Sharp Solar, Mono Crystalline panels from SolarWorld and Poly Crystalline panels from Suntech. The system will utilize single-axis trackers from SunEdison and dual-axis trackers from SolFocus and GreenVolts; the tracking systems allow the panels to continually track the movement of the sun in order to maximize electricity generation. The system utilizes Satcon Inverters.

PPA Partners LLC is a project developer of distributed generation solar programs across North America, specializing in Colleges and Universities interested in saving on their Energy bills, and creating unique learning and revenue generation opportunities.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lori Stofft
Director, Public Relations and Marketing
Arizona Western College
Office: +1 928-314-9595
Cell: +1 928-246-4834
Email:Lori.stofft@azwestern.edu

www.azwestern.edu

California, United States — Rosendin Electric will break ground this week on a new photovoltaic power installation project for the Antelope Valley Union High School District. This 9.4-megawatt (MW) installation spans 10 schools and is the largest school solar project undertaken in California to date.

The Rosendin Electric Solar Division has been contracted to support engineering for the US $50 million Antelope Valley UHSD solar project, as well as assuming full responsibility for procurement and construction.

“With the addition of the Antelope Valley contract, Rosendin Electric becomes one of the largest solar distributed generation EPC contractors in the West,” said Duncan Frederick, director of solar operations for Rosendin Electric. “We have always been committed to delivering alternative energy solutions, and we have an unprecedented track record in wind farm installation. With the addition of this project to our portfolio of solar projects installed over the past year, we are quickly building the same reputation for delivering solar power.”

Rosendin Electric recently completed the installation of a 1.2-MW solar array at the Mineta San Jose International Airport with partner Canadian Solar, and is in the process of completing similar projects for the Hollister Wastewater Treatment Project, Hollister Unified School District, San Ysidro School District and the Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona. Rosendin Electric will also  complete a 5-MW solar project for the Sunset Reservoir in San Francisco within the next two months.

May 17, 2010 11:29 PM

BY STEPHANIE A. WILKEN – SUN STAFF WRITER

One future renewable energy project will be the first of its kind — and it’s one step closer to coming to Yuma County after the Board of Supervisors meeting Monday.

The Yuma Sun previously reported on a planned solar research project at Arizona Western College.

The project will include 5 1-megawatt systems and cover five different types of solar collection that will enable researchers to have data that’s never before been produced, said Bruce Mercy with PPA Partners Inc. (PPA), the lead contractor on the project.

“Nowhere in the country, no where in the world is there a (research) demonstration like this,” Mercy said.

Monday, supervisors authorized PPA to pursue $22 million in Yuma County Recovery Zone Facility Bonds to help finance the $30 million project. The money is a bond that will be repaid by PPA and is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Because the five different systems can run simultaneously and will be in the same area, it will be a unique research facility for solar, Mercy said. And all of the systems are designed for a utility-sized demonstration and test, he said.

PPA will share the data with the college, which could also entice research teams to come.

“The data from this field is probably one of the most valuable components of this project,” he said. “(It’s) one of the greatest carrots that we can put out there.”

There will also be an opportunity for solar manufacturing facilities in the future, Mercy said, citing that manufacturing facilities generally locate within 60 miles of research facilities.

In addition, Mercy said the college is working on developing curriculum including advanced degrees because of the project.

PPA will fund the $30 million through two revenue sources: one from revenues from Arizona Public Service, and another from a federal tax grant.

In addition to being the largest solar array at a college or university, the project at AWC will supply the college with 100 percent of its power — a major cost savings to the college.

In 10 years, the project is expected to save the college $3.5 million, in 15 years save $15.4 million, and in 30 years, the college is expected to save almost $54 million.

And with the bright, sunny days in Yuma County, it’s the perfect place to house the project, Mercy said.

“There should be solar on everything here,” he said.

The project, he said, will have a great impact on solar research.

“We’re taking it to a degree not even considered up to this point.”

The project is expected to go online Dec. 1.

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.

Source: Yuma Sun

Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar cells are made of semiconducting materials similar to those used in computer chips. When sunlight is absorbed by these materials, the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. This process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic (PV) effect.

The performance of a solar cell is measured in terms of its efficiency at turning sunlight into electricity. Only sunlight of certain energies will work efficiently to create electricity, and much of it is reflected or absorbed by the material that makes up the cell and panel. Because of this, a typical commercial solar cell has an efficiency of 15%-about one-sixth of the sunlight striking the cell generates electricity. Low efficiencies mean that larger arrays are needed, and that means higher cost. Improving solar cell efficiencies while holding down the cost per cell is an important goal of the PV industry, NREL researchers, and other U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, and they have made significant progress. The first solar cells, built in the 1950s, had efficiencies of less than 4%.

Solar cells are typically combined into modules that hold about 40 to 72 cells; a number of these modules are mounted in arrays that can measure up to several meters on a side. These flat-plate PV arrays can be mounted at a fixed angle facing south, or they can be mounted on a tracking device that follows the sun, allowing them to capture the most sunlight over the course of a day. Several connected PV arrays can provide enough power for a household; for large electric utility or industrial applications, hundreds of arrays can be interconnected to form a single, large system.

Thin film solar cells use layers of semiconductor materials only a few micrometers thick. Thin film technology has made it possible for solar cells to now double as rooftop shingles, roof tiles, building facades, or the glazing for skylights or atriums. The solar cell version of items such as shingles offer the same protection and durability as ordinary asphalt shingles.

Some solar cells are designed to operate with concentrated sunlight. These cells are built into concentrating collectors that use a lens to focus the sunlight onto the cells. This approach has both advantages and disadvantages compared with flat-plate PV arrays. The main idea is to use very little of the expensive semiconducting PV material while collecting as much sunlight as possible. But because the lenses must be pointed at the sun, the use of concentrating collectors is limited to the sunniest parts of the country. Some concentrating collectors are designed to be mounted on simple tracking devices, but most require sophisticated tracking devices, which further limit their use to electric utilities, industries, and large buildings.