Watch the world's largest solar power plant being built: Huge farm generates energy for 160,000 homes using nine MILLION panels

Home »Watch the world's largest solar power plant being built: Huge farm generates energy for 160,000 homes using nine MILLION panels

Watch the world's largest solar power plant being built: Huge farm generates energy for 160,000 homes using nine MILLION panels

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Friday, November 28, 2014 Label:

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The world's largest solar power plant has gone online in California, with enough power to supply 160,000 homes.

Spanning a huge 9.5 square miles (25 square km) - a third of the size of Manhattan - the Topaz Solar Farm consists of nine million solar panels and has a capacity of 550 megawatts.

And it is a major step towards the state's goals of supplying 33 per cent of electricity to homes from renewable sources by 2020.

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The Topaz Solar Farm (shown) has gone online in California's Carrizo Plain. The $2.5bn project spans 9.5 square miles and has nine million panels. It has a capacity of 550 megawatts, enough to power 160,000 homes. And it will take the place of 370,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions

The mammoth $2.5 billion (£1.5 billion) project is located in California's Carrizo Plain, in southeastern San Luis Obispo County.

Construction began back in 2011 but now, with the installation of the final 40 megawatt segment, it is now the first 500-plus megawatt solar farm to come online in the US.

And, at a total of 550 megawatts, it is also the largest solar plant online in the world.

COULD SOLAR PANELS SLASH ENERGY BILLS BY £425M?

Households in the UK could see their energy bills slashed by £425million by the end of the next decade if the government adopts a 'stable' policy on solar power.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research said that, with the government's support, electricity produced by solar panels could become cheaper than the wholesale electricity price by 2024.

This could result in 18 million homes benefiting from low-cost electricity by 2030.

The CEBR, which carried out the study for the Solar Trade Association, also said the solar power industry could contribute £25.5billion to the economy and generate 50,000 jobs.

With prices in the industry having tumbled since 2010, the report suggests that building solar panel stations could become cheaper than constructing new gas plants by 2018.

The power it produces takes the place of 377,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually - equivalent to taking 73,000 cars off the road.

Construction was actually due to finish in early 2015, so it has been finished ahead of schedule.

Unlike some solar plants, the Topaz requires no water to generate electricity, and it makes very minimal noise as there are no moving parts.

Each of the solar panels stands just five and a half feet (1.7 metres) off the ground, reducing visible impact from the expansive farm.

'First Solar projects have a low environmental impact,' the company said.

'When in operation, our systems generate electricity with no air emissions, no waste production, no water use, and have the smallest carbon footprint of any photovoltaic technology.'

The Topaz Solar Farm is part of an initiative to make a third of California's electricity come from renewable sources by 2020.

The plant will ultimately be usurped by another solar farm in the US next year; SunPower's Solar Star, also in California, will be capable of producing 579 megawatts.

World's largest solar farm opens on California-Nevada border

The mammoth $2.5 billion (£1.5 billion) project is located in California's Carrizo Plain, in southeastern San Luis Obispo County (shown on map)

Construction of the plant (shown) was due for completion in 2015 but finished early. Unlike some plants, it requires no water to generate electricity, and it makes very minimal noise. Each of the solar panels stands just five and a half feet (1.7 metres) off the ground, reducing visible impact from the expansive farm

The Topaz Solar Farm (shown) is part of an initiative to make a third of California's electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. The plant will ultimately be usurped by another solar farm in the US next year; SunPower's Solar Star, also in California, will be capable of producing 579 megawatts

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