Solar Love
  • Rooftop Solar
    • Energy Storage
  • Solar Panels
  • Policy
  • Research
    • Science
    • Market Research
    • Solar Perceptions & Polls

Solar Love

  • Rooftop Solar
    • Energy Storage
  • Solar Panels
  • Policy
  • Research
    • Science
    • Market Research
    • Solar Perceptions & Polls
Community Solar

70 MW PV Merchant Solar Plant Completed In Chile

by Jake Richardson January 26, 2015
written by Jake Richardson January 26, 2015
70 MW PV Merchant Solar Plant Completed In Chile

The Salvador Solar Plant has been completed in the Chilean Atacama Desert. It is one of the largest merchant solar power plants in the world. It has been estimated that Salvador will generate enough electricity each year to power about 70,000 households in Chile.

salvadorsolarImage Credit: Etrion

The project was unsubsidized, which is remarkable because solar power is often criticized for needing government incentives. Fossil fuels that are subsidized do not receive such criticism, which is not fair at all to solar power. There clearly is a double standard that has been created to make solar power appear less viable.

Projects like the Salvador Solar Plant demonstrate that solar power can stand on its own and that they can also provide clean energy to the marketplace at competitive rates. Another advantage of solar power is that it is improving gradually, whereas fossil fuels do not appear to be. This trend means that solar power will very likely continue to decrease in cost and increase in energy capacity.

SunPower, the solar manufacturing company based in the U.S., not only provided the 160,000 solar panels for the new plant, it also designed and constructed it. Operations and maintenance will also come from SunPower. In a desert environment, dust is a concern because it can coat solar panels and decrease electricity production.

“PV Salvador showcases advanced SunPower technology that will deliver maximized, cost-competitive solar power production over the next 25 years or more.Together with Total, we are leading the market by delivering reliable, cost-effective clean power to Chile’s utility grid, positively impacting local businesses and people,” explained Jorg Heinemann, SunPower’s executive vice president, global power plants, customer operations and EPC.

Northern Chile has a very high solar radiation level, and much open space so it is an excellent location for solar power. In fact, it is not too much of a stretch to imagine that this region’s electricity could be supplied by solar power, especially when energy storage solutions have been added to the mix.

Atacama DesertChileEtrionSunPower
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterest
Jake Richardson

has been writing about solar energy for years on sites like CleanTechnica, Care2, and Planetsave. He enjoys the outdoors and is passionate about protecting life on this planet. You can connect with Jake on Google Plus.

previous post
Musk: Utilities & Solar Can Exist Together
next post
220 MW Of New Solar Power For Florida

You may also like

Georgia Power Unveils Simple Solar Energy Program

February 26, 2017

Solar Power Coming To 10,000 Nigerian Homes Thanks...

February 25, 2017

SolPad Releases Pricing & Pre-Order Info For Mobile...

February 9, 2017

Solar Power For Churches Is Getting Easier &...

February 9, 2017

Solar Power For Mobile And Manufactured Homes

November 5, 2016

Community Solar Coming To San Antonio This Fall

July 12, 2016

“Solar For All” Shows How Utilities Can Increase...

June 25, 2016

Brooklyn’s Microgrid For Selling & Buying Electricity

March 16, 2016

Solar Revolution In Berlin — Join Us April...

March 11, 2016

Black Rock Solar, Lower Income Solar Energy Pilot...

February 28, 2016

Follow Me

Facebook

Recent Posts

  • Meet PVCase: A 3D Solar Design Software That Every PV Designer Should Consider

    June 12, 2019
  • Mitsui To Partner With Indian Company For Distributed Solar Projects

    June 10, 2019
  • India’s NTPC Offers Solar Project Management Services To ISA Members

    June 9, 2019
  • Equinor & Scatec Solar Complete 162 Megawatt Brazilian Solar Plant

    November 29, 2018
  • Gamesa Awarded 400 Megawatt Solar Project In Egypt

    November 29, 2018
  • Facebook

@2019 - All Right Reserved solarlove.org


Back To Top