SolFocus Installing World's Largest Concentrated Solar Project in Spain

Earlier today, concentrated solar company SolFocus announced that it has signed a deal to install over 10 MW of its systems in Spain for EMPE Solar. Upon its completion in 2010, the $103 million, multi-site project will be the largest concentrated solar deployment in the world. SolFocus estimates that the project will be able to meet the domestic energy requirements of 40,000 homes.

SolFocus modules use mirrors and reflective optics to concentrate the sun’s rays 500 times onto a solar cell. As a result, the systems use 1/1000 the amount of photovoltaic material typically used in PV modules.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a completed 3 MW SolFocus installation for the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems in Spain— a project intended to showcase the reliability, scalability, and efficiency of concentrated solar.

Those of us in the United States may not have to wait too long to reap the benefits of a SolFocus project— the company plans on announcing a commercial project in the California desert in the near future.

Photo Credit: SolFocus, Inc.

Ariel Schwartz (374 Posts)

Ariel Schwartz was formerly the editor of CleanTechnica and is a contributor at Fast Company, Inhabitat, Triple Pundit, SF Weekly, and NBC Bay Area Online. A graduate of Vassar College, she has previously worked in publishing, organic farming, documentary film, and newspaper journalism. Her interests include permaculture, hiking, skiing, music, relocalization, and cob (the building material). She currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

http://is.gd/Fo2/609587829 web

Nice! Now we just need a few of these in every Southern state in the US…
http://is.gd/Fo2/609587829 web

Nice! Now we just need a few of these in every Southern state in the US…
http://www.resistance2cheats.com/ Res Tanch

Hopefully other countries will follow if this turns out to be a success.
http://www.resistance2cheats.com/ Res Tanch

Hopefully other countries will follow if this turns out to be a success.
Leafar

It’s insane to capture, consolidate, and redistribute solar energy this way. It’s a waste of land and resources. The infrastructure to carry this power to an existing grid will be enormous and the cost astronomical.

Solar energy’s best use is on individual buildings, to “help” reduce power consumption. The technology is here yet to replace existing power. If every large building had rooftop solar panels it would be an tremendous reduction in power consumption. If homes have solar panels feeding energy back into the utilities it would reduce energy consumption even more.

The focus on solar energy should be toward reducing energy consumption rather than creating a new infrastructure to deliver it. I’m sure both can co-exist, and it’s clean, but emphasis should be made at the individual level rather than the corporate enterprise level.
Leafar

It’s insane to capture, consolidate, and redistribute solar energy this way. It’s a waste of land and resources. The infrastructure to carry this power to an existing grid will be enormous and the cost astronomical.

Solar energy’s best use is on individual buildings, to “help” reduce power consumption. The technology is here yet to replace existing power. If every large building had rooftop solar panels it would be an tremendous reduction in power consumption. If homes have solar panels feeding energy back into the utilities it would reduce energy consumption even more.

The focus on solar energy should be toward reducing energy consumption rather than creating a new infrastructure to deliver it. I’m sure both can co-exist, and it’s clean, but emphasis should be made at the individual level rather than the corporate enterprise level.
http://alove4horses.com A Love for Horses

This is such wonderful news for the whole world! We need clean energy and this gives it to us. Lets hope they can make these even faster. Give up the dirty oil and coal!
http://alove4horses.com A Love for Horses

This is such wonderful news for the whole world! We need clean energy and this gives it to us. Lets hope they can make these even faster. Give up the dirty oil and coal!
http://alove4horses.com A Love for Horses

This is such wonderful news for the whole world! We need clean energy and this gives it to us. Lets hope they can make these even faster. Give up the dirty oil and coal!
Jim West

how come Spain gets to have all the fun??

Jesse

http://www.anolite.echoz.com
Jim West

how come Spain gets to have all the fun??

Jesse

http://www.anolite.echoz.com