Shell Solar Industries has been awarded a contract by Semitropic Water Storage District of Wasco, California, to design and install a unique array of solar photovoltaics (PV).
Shell Solar engineers have designed an innovative, patent-pending "Single Axis Tracking System" for nearly one megawatt of solar panels. This system will generate more power, as the tracker "follows the sun", rather than being installed at a fixed angle. The structure will contain 1,920 panels of the new Shell PowerMax(TM) Ultra modules, with each panel producing 510 watts of solar electricity. The integrated panels were assembled under tight quality control conditions at Shell's PV manufacturing facility in Camarillo, California, the largest PV plant in the U.S. The "factory panelized" job will enable ease-of- installation and is projected to be completed in early Spring 2005.
The water district, located in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, was interested in reducing its current annual cost of electricity. Solar energy was attractive because it is a low-cost, clean, long-term power source. The water district also evaluated product quality and reliability as well as project support services. Shell Solar met that criteria and will provide "turn key" services — from complete design to installation — to simplify the process.
The Shell Solar PV system is designed to deliver energy during times when it is most needed, such as on bright afternoons. It will produce approximately 1.75 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, providing the district with a significant reduction in annual utility charges. The PV system on the tracker will be installed in an open field to maximize energy output, as it tracks the sun across the sky.
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