Projects in USA

Arizona

Solana: The world's largest solar plant

Location: : Gila Bend, near Phoenix (Arizona).

Type of project : 280 MWe, CPS Trough Plant with storage.

Abengoa Solar has signed an agreement with Arizona Public Service (APS), the largest electric company in Arizona, to build and operate what will be the largest solar power plant in the world.

Recently, the White House announced that DOE Department of Energy has offered a conditional commitment for a $1.45 billion loan guarantee to Abengoa Solar, Inc. The loan will support the construction and start-up of Solana.

The plant will be installed about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, near Gila Bend. Solana, with 250 MW nets of power output capacity, is based on parabolic trough technology and thermal storage using molten salts. When operation starts up, the plant will have the capacity to supply clean power to 70,000 homes and will eliminate around 475,000 tons of CO ₂.

The building of Solana will also create between 1,600-1,700 new construction jobs, and operation of the plant will add another 85 permanent jobs. These construction and operating jobs will create a few thousand additional indirect jobs.


Power block	Solana trough

Watch Solana video

Solana will operate like Solnova1, with the addition of storage capacity as shown in the diagram below.

This thermal storage allows the system to send power to the grid even when the sky is overcast and allows Solana to generate elecricity even after the sun goes down.

Domestic Hot Water: Federal Correctional Institution, Phoenix, Arizona (PT1)

Solar field in operation

In Phoenix, a PT-1 system of solar collectors coupled to a hot water storage tank provides hot water around the clock to serve the needs of 1,200 prison inmates and support staff. The system came on line in 1999 and provides over 70% of the facility's need for hot water.

PT1 Trough

At the correctional institution, solar energy has reduced net electricity use by about 1.1 million kWh annually (about 10% of total facility use) and electricity demand by more than 200 kW. On a clear day, the solar system saves over 4,000 kWh of electricity that would have been used to heat hot water, while using less than 25 kWh to power pumps, collector drive motors and controls. In addition, the system has eliminated the need for the prison to increase hot water capacity for an expanded inmate population and reduces the maintenance requirements of the electric water heaters.

The solar system is owned and operated by Abengoa Solar. The solar energy delivered is metered and is sold to FCI-Phoenix under a cost-shared, Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC). As a result of its success, this project was awarded the first solar technology specific "super-ESPC" by the Department of Energy. In addition, following one year of measured performance, the project was issued First Place in the Regional Technology Awards by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers in 2000.

Diagram of Solar DHW System at FCI Phoenix, Arizona

Cooling and heating system : University campus Cochise– Douglas,) Arizona(PT1)

The Cochise campus system came online in October 2006. PT-1 solar collectors deliver both summertime cooling and wintertime heating to the Cochise College campus. It employs a 60-ton single-stage, ammonia-cycle absorption chiller sourced from Energy Concepts in Annapolis, MD to produce chilled water for air-conditioning. A 7,500-gallon (28,400 l) pressurized storage tank allows water to be stored at temperatures up to 250 F (121 C), so that heating or cooling can be delivered at any time of the day or night.

PT1 Trough

The system incorporates the first application of Abengoa Solar’s new cutting-edge control and data monitoring system. Enhanced capabilities maximize collector field performance with data access and control through Internet connectivity.