4 November 2011

APS’ First Solar-powered Paloma plant comes online as first AZ Sun facility

Arizona Public Service Co (APS) of Phoenix, AZ (the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA have announced the completion of the 17MW Paloma Solar Power Plant, which is the first facility to reach commercial operation as part of the AZ Sun Program.

Earlier last week, APS also placed the Cotton Center Solar Plant in commercial operation (the second AZ Sun facility to come online), adding an extra 17MW to the AZ Sun Program. Both plants are located in the town of Gila Bend.

APS is Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serving more than 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. With Paloma and Cotton Center, APS' total renewable portfolio is 930MW, including projects online and in development. Of that, 362MW is in service currently, providing enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 90,000 APS customers.

Through the first phase of the AZ Sun Program - which was approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) in 2010 - APS is investing in the development of 100MW of turn-key, utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plants across Arizona. The Hyder Solar Plant in southwestern Arizona is expected to reach commercial operation in fourth-quarter 2011, making it the third AZ Sun facility to enter service.

Third-party partners such as First Solar are developing and constructing the AZ Sun facilities, which APS will own and operate upon completion. The four-year program is expected to have 100MW online by 2014 and create more than 1000 construction jobs. More than 700 have been created in Arizona this year, of which Paloma contributed 300. Also, APS has an application pending before the ACC for another 100MW phase of the AZ Sun Program.

“Solar energy is a critical part of our planning to meet the energy needs of APS customers… We are developing large solar plants that take the amount of solar we provide to customers to a new level,” says APS’ president & chief operating officer Don Robinson.

Paloma consists of 275,000 thin-film PV panels mounted on fixed-tilt steel supports. The installation marks the first time that APS is using thin-film technology for one of its solar plants. The project is also the first on which APS has worked with First Solar.

“Paloma is the culmination of a successful partnership between APS, Gila Bend and First Solar,” says Jim Lamon, First Solar’s senior VP of Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Operations and Maintenance. From the initial contract signing in February between APS and First Solar until the Paloma Plant began producing electricity, the project has been completed in the shortest time that either APS or First Solar has achieved.

Along with the Paloma and Cotton Center solar plants, Gila Bend is home to the Solana Generating Station, which is currently under construction by Abengoa Solar and, once complete in 2013, will be among the world’s largest solar facilities. APS has a contract to purchase all of the output from Solana.  

Tags: First Solar Thin-film photovoltaic CdTe

Visit: www.firstsolar.com

Visit: www.aps.com/remap