14 November 2011

Soitec receives regulatory approval for 155MW of Californian power purchase agreements

Soitec of Bernin, France, which makes engineered substrates including silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers (as well as III-V epiwafers through its Picogiga International division), says that its subsidiary Soitec Solar Development LLC has received approval for five of its power purchase agreements with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

These five projects represent a combined capacity of 155MW with electricity generated at solar power plant sites in San Diego County that will use Soitec’s Concentrix concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology. Additionally, the CPUC has approved an option agreement for the right, but not the obligation, for SDG&E to purchase additional capacity from Soitec Solar Development. Soitec says that this announcement represents a significant step forward in its expansion plans and strategy in the USA.

As previously announced, the CPV modules will be made in a new Soitec factory planned for the San Diego area. To supply the projects, the new facility will use new Concentrix’s fifth-generation technology, which provides a module efficiency that exceeds 30% (2-3 times the efficiency of conventional PV technology).

In addition to using concentrator optics and high-efficiency solar cells that suits sunny regions and delivering low-cost, reliable, solar electricity, CPV technology requires no water for ongoing operations, which is a key consideration for the water-constrained San Diego and Imperial Counties, says Soitec.

At full capacity, the San Diego manufacturing facility will generate up to 450 direct jobs and more than 1000 indirect jobs within San Diego County. Its location is expected to be announced before the end of this year.

Tags: Soitec CPV

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