Compiled by Ann Rascalli

First Solar Drops Utility-Scale San Luis Valley Project

Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar has decided not to continue with plans to develop a 150 megawatt solar power project in the San Luis Valley. The company said this week that it is shifting its focus to “higher priority projects.”

First Solar withdrew its application with the Bureau of Land Management to build the project across 2,100 acres of high desert, according to Steven Hall, Colorado spokesman for the BLM. The company says it is reviewing its portfolio to determine which projects have the highest priority based on factors such as transmission capacity.

The San Luis Valley project was part of the utility-scale solar development that First Solar acquired when it bought rival OptiSolar earlier this year.

However, some analysts are starting to question the viability of the company’s utility-scale solar strategy. In addition to the Colorado farm, First Solar has also dropped four large-scale solar plant projects in California alone, because the  BLM nixed the plans for each project. It all suggests the company and its competitors may have a much tougher time getting approval for large scale solar projects in the West.

First Solar has carved out its niche in the marketplace, in part,  because of very low production costs of its cadmium telluride-based panels compared to traditional silicon-based units, but the latter have a higher efficiency rate.

Advanced Energy Inverters Commissioned on CSU Campus

FORT COLLINS - Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. has commissioned its Solaron® photovoltaic inverters on Colorado State University’s new, two megawatt solar power facility at its Foothills Campus.

The 15 acre site is expected to be one of the largest solar installations at a U.S. university and is projected to produce more than 10 percent of the electricity required to power the Foothills Campus. The project is the result of a unique, public-private partnership between CSU, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a premier independent power producer, and Xcel Energy.  AMEC, an international engineering and project management company, is constructing the solar array. The facility started producing power in early December and is expected to be fully commissioned early in 2010.

Dr. Hans Betz, president and CEO of Advanced Energy, noted, “We’re proud to be working with these leading companies developing solar energy solutions to deliver clean, renewable energy to the Foothills Campus. We are confident that by delivering the highest efficiency available, our Solaron inverters will provide the maximum power harvest and the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE). CSU’s leadership in renewable energy is a great example for other universities and businesses across the country.”

835-kW PV Power System Activated at Alamosa High School

Local officials, including Alamosa Mayor Kathy Rogers, were on hand earlier this month to celebrate the activation of a 835-kW DC solar photovoltaic power system at Alamosa High School, making it one of the largest public schools in Colorado to harness solar energy.

The solar system was built and financed without an upfront capital cost by SunEdison, a subsidiary unit of MEMC Electronic Materials. According to press reports, more than 27 million kilowatt hours of electricity will be produced by the solar power array during the next 20 years, contributing to the power supply for 2,600+ homes annually.

During the ceremony, Colorado Senator Gail Schwartz noted that the money saved from electricity bills will be spent for the school. Schwartz also acknowledged the environmental responsibilities undertaken by companies like SunEdison in order to develop Colorado’s solar industry.
        
Robert Alejo, Superintendent of Alamosa School, told the gathering the school district is proud to be the first in using renewable energy.  Mayor Rogers said the communities’ progressive vision has been highlighted through the partnership between Alamosa Schools and SunEdison. This partnership, according to Rogers, will provide cost saving measures and the students of Alamosa high School will be provided with appropriate learning opportunities.