First Solar to Build 250MW & 300MW Solar Farms in California, Enough to Power 170,000 Homes

Michael Graham Richard
Technology / Solar Technology
August 18, 2009

A solar PV farm in Nevada that uses First Solar panels. Photo: First SolarMore Clean Energy During Peak DemandFirst Solar is one of the leaders in thin film solar power, and it just sealed a deal with California's SoCal Edison for two solar power projects totalling 550 megawatts of capacity: "The projects in the California counties of Riverside and San Bernardino would provide enough power to supply 170,000 homes when completed in 2015, the companies said."A solar PV farm in Nevada that uses First Solar panels. Photo: First SolarTwo Solar Farms to be BuiltThe first solar farm (250MW) will be built in in Riverside County, near the city of Desert Center, and will be called Desert Sunlight. The second one (300MW) will be built northeastern of San Bernardino County and will be called Stateline. As expected, both locations get plenty of sun.

The photovoltaic panels will be based on cadmium-telluride and will be made by First Solar.

According to Reuters: "The projects are also a sign that financing for new solar installations might be starting to recover after a year when many major banks abandoned the industry because of the meltdown in the credit markets."

A solar PV farm in Nevada that uses First Solar panels. Photo: First SolarMeeting State Renewable Energy Targets Easy money or not, California's utilities might not have much of a choice, because the state has a goal of 20% renewable energy by 2010, and the law might be extended to 33 percent by 2020 (in 2008, SoCal Edison was already producing about 65% of all the solar power in the US).