Masdar Connects 10-MW PV Plant To Grid
Posted by Big Gav in masdar, solar power
Renewable Energy World reports that Masdar has launched the largest solar PV plant in the middle east - Masdar Connects 10-MW PV Plant To Grid.
Masdar has officially connected a 10-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant to Abu Dhabi's grid, marking the integration of the largest PV plant in the Middle East to the grid. The plant will provide clean energy to the temporary Masdar site administration facilities, and power the ongoing construction activities of Masdar City.
In addition, the plant will supply all the energy needs of The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a graduate-level scientific institution dedicated to renewable energy study, which opens in late 2009.
The 10 MW plant, consisting of 87,777 panels (50% thin film and 50% crystalline silicon) is projected to generate 17,500 MWh of clean energy each year. With the construction costing US $50 million the plant is also one of the most cost-efficient PV installations in the world in terms of its projected power output, Masdar said.
Continuing the PV theme, Inhabitat has a post on some new panels that generate heat and power - PVT Solar Panels Generate Heat and Electricity at the Same Time.
PVT Solar is pioneering an ultra-efficient breed of solar panels that focus not just on incorporating better photovoltaic components, but also take the heat generated by the solar panels and use it to power a solar thermal system. According to the company, these solar cogeneration panels are three times more efficient than anything else out there!
PVT Solar is funded by Vinod Koshla, the founder of Sun Microsystems. According to a profile on the New York Times, what drew Mr. Koshla to the company was the remarkable achievement in efficiency that the company was able to generate. Standard photovoltaic systems generate electrical energy from the sun, while solar thermal systems takes heat from the sun to heat something, like water, for consumption within a home. PVT Solar is aiming to marry both systems into one, since photovoltaic systems are known to release excess heat that isn’t used.
Aside from taking waste heat and giving it an actual use, this combination would also have the added benefit of making the solar panel cooler, which in turn would make it more efficient, thus generating more energy. PVT Solar is the latest company to commercialize solar cogeneration technology, and is the first to really consider deploying a system for residential use.
Posts
