Mountainview, California-based SolFocus announced Monday an agreement to jointly develop the first commercial installation of Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) solar technology in Greece.
The agreement is with Concept, a division of the Samaras Group. As part of the deployment, SolFocus will expand its Madrid-based European operations to open a subsidiary 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%, offering the highest energy yield of PV systems available today, the company said. 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.
"Our partnership will enable SolFocus to expand into the lucrative Greek market, which is boosted by favorable incentives and strong demand for electricity" added Mr. Crowley. "We are extremely pleased to be taking this pioneering step with the Samaras Group who is well-known for advancing innovative technologies."
The SolFocus CPV design employs a system of reflective optics to concentrate sunlight 500 times onto small, highly efficient solar cells. SolFocus said its 1100S technology uses approximately 1/1,000th of the active, expensive solar cell material compared to traditional photovoltaic panels.
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.
The project follows the announcement of a SolFocus project with EMPE Solar, which will deploy the same solar technology in a 10-MW installation. The project is expected to be the largest deployment of CPV technology in Europe.
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.
Samaras Group is a 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.
Loading...