10 April 2012

Exelon’s First Solar-powered Antelope Valley project receives first DOE loan advance

Chicago-based Exelon Corp and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA have announced that the Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One project in northern Los Angeles County has received the first advance of a loan guaranteed by the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, finalizing the project’s acquisition from First Solar by Exelon (announced last October).

First Solar is constructing the 230MW photovoltaic power project (one of the world’s largest such projects) and will operate and maintain the project for Exelon. The first portion of the project is expected to come online in late 2012, with full operation planned for late 2013.

Using about 3.8 million solar panels, AV Solar Ranch One will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 75,000 average California homes — with no water use, no air emissions and no waste production — displacing about 140,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year (equivalent to taking about 30,000 cars off the road). The project has a 25-year power purchase agreement (approved by the California Public Utilities Commission) with Pacific Gas & Electric Company for the full output of the plant.

Tags: First Solar Thin-film photovoltaic CdTe

Visit: www.firstsolar.com

Visit: www.exeloncorp.com