First Commercial Solar Project in Greece Using Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) Technology
SolFocus announced an agreement with Concept, a division of the Samaras Group, to jointly develop the first commercial installation of Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) solar technology in Greece.
Spanning multiple sites, the deployment will have the capacity to produce 1.6 megawatts (MW) of power using the SolFocus 1100S system. The newly-released 1100S achieves unprecedented panel efficiencies of 25 percent, offering the highest energy yield of PV systems available today. The installation will begin in the spring of 2009 with the first delivery of power expected in the summer.
In the first year of production, the system will have the capability to meet energy demands for a small town with approximately 2,500 residents while preventing the release of 2,800 tons of carbon dioxide.
The SolFocus CPV design employs a system of reflective optics to concentrate sunlight 500 times onto small, highly efficient solar cells. The SolFocus 1100S uses approximately 1/1,000th of the active, expensive solar cell material compared to traditional photovoltaic panels. In addition, the cells used in SolFocus CPV systems have over twice the efficiency of traditional silicon cells. In a solar-rich country like Greece, such efficiency can accelerate the trajectory for solar energy to reach cost parity with fossil fuels.
SolFocus integrates its CPV panels with its advanced tracking system that continuously aligns the solar array with direct sunlight throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. The tracking capability of the SolFocus 1100S results in energy generation ideally matched to peak demand periods.
About SolFocus
The SolFocus mission is to enable solar energy generation at a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) competitive with traditional fossil fuel sources. To achieve this goal, SolFocus has developed leading concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology which combines high-efficiency solar cells (approaching 40%) and advanced optics to provide solar energy solutions which are scalable, dependable and capable of delivering on the promise of clean, low-cost, renewable energy. SolFocus is headquartered in Mountain View, California with European operations headquartered in Madrid, Spain, and manufacturing in Mesa, Arizona as well as with manufacturing partners in India and China.
About Samaras Group
Samaras Group is a leading Greek company, founded in 1992, providing vertically organized consultancy services with specialization in the development of Renewable Energy development projects and electromechanical installations. The company is mainly focused on the private sector, but it also participates in developmental and investment projects of the Greek State as well as public enterprises. Samaras Group is headquartered in Thessaloniki, Greece and has more than 80 employees, a majority of which are experienced engineers of all specialties.
For more information about Solfocus, please visit solfocus.com.
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CPV is a “disruptive innovation” in the solar industry with the potential to displace traditional thin-film and silicon-based PV and Concentrated Solar Power